CRONT: Empowering optical tweezers with "biometric eyes"
Optothermal nanotweezers, an innovative optical manipulation technique over the past decade, have revolutionized classical optical manipulation by efficiently capturing a broader spectrum of nanoparticles. While this technique has been primarily used.....»»
Light momentum turns pure silicon from an indirect to a direct bandgap semiconductor
UC Irvine-led research reveals that the optical properties of materials can be dramatically enhanced—not by changing the materials themselves, but by giving the light new properties......»»
Lucid eyes Detroit engineering talent ahead of EV launches, powertrain supply agreements
Lucid Motors opened a hub near Detroit to attract vehicle engineers. It also wants to provide its powertrain tech to more automakers......»»
Observers detect intraday variability of blazar 1ES 1426+42.8
Astronomers report the detection of optical intraday variability of a blazar known as 1ES 1426+42.8. The new findings, presented in a paper published in the September issue of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, could shed more light o.....»»
Researchers improve tunability in optical differentiation
A new technique may make it easier for researchers to create real-time images of microscopic samples by considering the waves that propagate through sample surfaces as light interacts with them......»»
Could interstellar quantum communications involve Earth or solve the Fermi paradox?
Thus far, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) has used strategies based on classical science—listening for radio waves, telescopes watching for optical signals, telescopes in orbit scouring light from the atmospheres of exoplanets,.....»»
Webb Telescope provides another look into galactic collisions
An interaction between an elliptical galaxy and a spiral galaxy, collectively known as Arp 107, seems to have given the spiral a happier outlook thanks to the two bright "eyes" and the wide semicircular "smile." The region has been observed before in.....»»
Deep design produces "butterfly" phase mask for light-sheet fluorescence microscopy
Researchers have introduced a solution to the problem of light-sheet fluorescence microscopy: novel illumination beams designed based on deep learning using a trainable phase mask. Their study eliminates the need for sophisticated optical design tool.....»»
Artemis missions could put the most powerful imaging telescope on the moon
Ground-based interferometry on Earth has proven to be a successful method for conducting science by combining light from several telescopes into acting like a single large telescope. But how can an ultraviolet (UV)/optical interferometer telescope on.....»»
Multifunctional phosphor developed for white LED lighting and optical thermometry
In the realm of lighting and temperature measurement, advancements in material science are paving the way for significant improvements in technology and safety. Traditional methods, which combine yellow phosphors with blue chips in LEDs, have limitat.....»»
Keeping your eyes on the road is easy with the Engo 2 AR sunglasses
These augmented reality sunglasses work with Apple, Android, and Garmin Enlarge / The Engo 2 smartglasses with heads-up display look slightly bulky. (credit: BradleyWarren Photography) When it comes to working out, I'm a.....»»
Washington finally catches a (small) break from drought conditions
If you've noticed a little bit more greenery outside these last few weeks, your eyes haven't deceived you. Washington's drought conditions are improving ever so slightly......»»
Found: 280 Android apps that use OCR to steal cryptocurrency credentials
Optical Character Recognition converts passwords shown in images to machine-readable text. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) Researchers have discovered more than 280 malicious apps for Android that use optical character re.....»»
Plasmonic modulators could enable high-capacity space communication
Researchers have achieved data rates as high as 424Gbit/s across a 53-km turbulent free-space optical link using plasmonic modulators—devices that use special light waves called surface plasmon polaritons to control and change optical signals. The.....»»
Beyond point-to-point triangulation: Dynamic 3D imaging under global illumination
As the "eyes of industry," 3D measurement technology provides comprehensive, accurate, and reliable 3D information for high-end precision manufacturing. Optical measurement methods, such as structured light projection, have been widely adopted in var.....»»
Scientists demonstrate octave-spanning soliton frequency combs on thin-film lithium niobate
The invention of optical frequency combs revolutionized frequency metrology and time-keeping. Miniaturization of such combs onto photonic chips, primarily leveraging the microresonator Kerr soliton frequency comb, expands on these functionalities by.....»»
How stories can teach young people about life in a changing climate
Education is key to empowering young people to respond to climate change. It's something that will reach into every aspect of their lives in complex ways. However, the national curriculum largely confines climate change to a few subjects, meaning tea.....»»
Study: Giant ultrafast dichroism and birefringence with active nonlocal metasurfaces
The fine and efficient control of the properties of light at ultrafast speed down to the picosecond timescale is a challenging task, crucial for many scientific applications and technologies. For instance, in free-space optical links, manipulating on.....»»
High-refractive-index-modulation nanocomposites for augmented reality displays
Holographic optical elements (HOEs) are essential in augmented reality (AR) displays, providing benefits such as design flexibility and improved optical efficiency. However, current materials' limited refractive index modulation hampers performance,.....»»
Spin-controlled generation of a complete polarization set with randomly interleaved plasmonic metasurfaces
Optical metasurfaces are finely crafted two-dimensional artificial nanostructures composed of meticulously designed arrays of ultrathin artificial atoms. These surfaces possess capabilities beyond natural materials, enabling multifunctional control o.....»»
Advances in optical micronanofiber-enabled tactile sensors and soft actuators
A perfect combination of fiber optics and micro/nanotechnology, optical micro/nanofiber (MNF) is a new type of micro/nano-waveguide structure developed in recent years......»»