Tunable "metasurface" is akin to optical swiss army knife
MIT engineers and colleagues report important new advances on a tunable metasurface, or flat optical device patterned with nanoscale structures, that they compare to a Swiss army knife while its passive predecessor can be thought of as just one tool,.....»»
Researchers develop ultrafast wavemeter that employs spectral–spatial–temporal mapping
Accurate high-speed measurements of wavelength are fundamental to optical research and industrial applications, such as environmental monitoring, biomedical analysis, and material characterization......»»
New approach uses "cloaked" proteins to deliver cancer-killing therapeutics into cells
An interdisciplinary collaboration has designed a way to "cloak" proteins so that they can be captured by lipid nanoparticles, which are akin to tiny bubbles of fat. These bubbles are small enough to sneak their hidden cargo into living cells, where.....»»
New metasurface-based edge detecting filter for remote sensing could transform crop monitoring
New work by researchers from the ARC Center of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS) and City University of New York (CUNY) published May 27 in Nature Communications realizes a new, tunable edge-detecting filter for flat-optic ima.....»»
Porous materials and machine learning provide inexpensive microplastic monitoring method
Optical analysis and machine learning techniques can now readily detect microplastics in marine and freshwater environments using inexpensive porous metal substrates. Details of the method, developed by researchers at Nagoya University with collabora.....»»
President warns new army officers to be ‘guardians of American democracy’
President warns new army officers to be ‘guardians of American democracy’.....»»
Saturday Citations: The cheapness horizon of electric batteries; the battle-worthiness of ancient armor; scared animals
Sometimes, science requires traveling into hazardous environments; sometimes it requires a vast influx of state capital and an army of researchers and technicians. But sometimes, science has to call in the Marines. We reported on that this week, alon.....»»
The Artificial Intelligence Era Faces a Threat from Directed Energy Weapons
Autonomous and AI-enabled systems increasingly rely on optical and radio frequency sensors and significant computer power. They face growing vulnerabilities from directed-energy laser and microwave weapons.....»»
Researchers develop framework for databasing properties of crystal defects
Point defects (e.g. missing, extra or swapped atoms) in crystalline materials often determine the actual electronic and optical response of a given material. For example, controlled substitutions in semiconductors like silicon are the backbone of mod.....»»
Quantum photonic technologies set to be more reliable with new interferometer
An increasing number of emerging quantum applications operate using optical technologies. Essentially, photons carry information at the speed of light and over long distances, making them good candidates for fast and secure communications and quantum.....»»
Streamlined microcomb design provides control with the flip of a switch
Light measurement devices called optical frequency combs have revolutionized metrology, spectroscopy, atomic clocks, and other applications. Yet challenges with developing frequency comb generators at a microchip scale have limited their use in every.....»»
First observation of a focused plasma wave on the sun
For the first time, scientists have observed plasma waves from a solar flare focused by a coronal hole, akin to the focusing of sound waves responsible for the Rotunda effect in architecture or the focusing of light by a telescope or microscope......»»
The tunable coupling of two distant superconducting spin qubits
Quantum computers, computing devices that leverage the principles of quantum mechanics, could outperform classical computing on some complex optimization and processing tasks. In quantum computers, classical units of information (bits), which can eit.....»»
iPhone 16 Pro rumored to get hugely better ultra-wide sensor & optical zoom
Rumors of major camera changes to the iPhone 16 Pro lineup continue, with a leaker insisting there will be an ultra-wide sensor update and one for the telephoto's zoom.Rear cameras of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro MaxApple regularly makes u.....»»
Researchers identify the principle behind "soft mechanoluminescent complex"
A research team collaborated to identify the principle of an eco-friendly energy-based soft mechanoluminescent complex that emits light without batteries. It is expected to be applied in various fields, such as optical sensors, artificial skin, and d.....»»
Seeing the color of entangled photons in molecular systems
Spectroscopy is the study of how matter absorbs and emits light and other radiation. It allows scientists to study the structure of atoms and molecules, including the energy levels of their electrons. Classical optical spectroscopy relies on the way.....»»
Climate change is a human rights issue
In April, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of a group of seniors who alleged that the Swiss government's failure to meet climate change mitigation targets is having an adverse impact on their health, well-being and quality of life......»»
Iso-propagation vortices: Optical multiplexing for unprecedented information capacity
The future of optical communications just got brighter. In a development reported in Advanced Photonics, researchers from Nanjing University have introduced iso-propagation vortices (IPVs), a novel concept that offers a solution to a long-standing ch.....»»
A thousand times smaller than a grain of sand—glass sensors 3D-printed on optical fiber
In a first for communications, researchers in Sweden 3D printed silica glass micro-optics on the tips of optic fibers—surfaces as small as the cross section of a human hair. The advance could enable faster internet and improved connectivity, as wel.....»»
New optical tweezers can trap large and irregularly shaped particles
Researchers have developed new optical tweezers that can stably trap particles that are large—about 0.1 mm—and irregularly shaped. While conventional optical tweezers use highly focused laser beams to trap micro- or nano-scale rod shaped or spher.....»»
Scientists create an "optical conveyor belt" for quasiparticles
Using interference between two lasers, a research group led by scientists from RIKEN and NTT Research have created an "optical conveyor belt" that can move polaritons—a type of light-matter hybrid particle—in semiconductor-based microcavities. Th.....»»