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,.....»»
Study shines light on properties and promise of hexagonal boron nitride, used in electronic and photonics technologies
Single-photon emitters (SPEs) are akin to microscopic lightbulbs that emit only one photon (a quantum of light) at a time. These tiny structures hold immense importance for the development of quantum technology, particularly in applications such as s.....»»
Compact quantum light processing: New findings lead to advances in optical quantum computing
An international collaboration of researchers, led by Philip Walther at University of Vienna, have achieved a significant breakthrough in quantum technology, with the successful demonstration of quantum interference among several single photons using.....»»
You could help minimize harm in a public attack. Here"s what it means to be a "zero responder"
The tragic Westfield attack in Sydney highlights the vulnerability of crowded public spaces. Six people were killed and many were injured by a knife-wielding attacker in a short period of time......»»
Sink to source: Does what we put into our plumbing end up back in the water supply?
When you see an advertisement for a detergent promising to brighten your clothes, something called a fluorescent whitening compound, or optical brightener, is probably involved. Such material absorbs UV light and emits visible blue light via fluoresc.....»»
Scientists develop framework to measure plastic emissions and bolster U.N. efforts to reduce pollution
University of Toronto (U of T) scientists have developed a framework for measuring plastic pollution emissions akin to the global standard for measuring greenhouse gas emissions. The researchers say the approach will boost identification of the bigge.....»»
Gigahertz-rate switchable wavefront shaping by LNOI-empowered metasurface
Over the past decade, metasurfaces deploying two-dimensional artificial nanostructures have emerged as a groundbreaking platform to manipulate light across various degrees of freedom. These metasurfaces exhibit significant potential in foundational s.....»»
America’s ‘God of War’ is now many decades old. The US Army can’t replace it
America’s ‘God of War’ is now many decades old. The US Army can’t replace it.....»»
Study sheds light on 11th-century Arab-Muslim optical scientist whose work laid foundation for modern-day physics
Scientists from the University of Sharjah and the Warburg Institute are poring over the writings of an 11th-century Arab-Muslim polymath to demonstrate their impact on the development of optical sciences and how they have fundamentally transformed th.....»»
Swiss climate policy in spotlight after court ruling
Switzerland, known for pristine countryside and snow-capped peaks, is facing scrutiny of its environmental policies after becoming the first country faulted by an international court for failing to do enough against climate change......»»
What do bird dreams sound like?
For more than 20 years, researchers have known that areas of birds' brains dedicated to singing show neural patterns during sleep akin to the ones they use while awake and singing......»»
A compact metasurface array-based system for single-shot spectroscopic ellipsometry measurement
Spectroscopic ellipsometry is widely adopted in semiconductor processing, such as in the manufacturing of integrated circuits, flat display panels, and solar cells. However, a conventional spectroscopic ellipsometer, as shown in Fig.1a, typically mod.....»»
Put a new edge on your knives with this sharpener for only $55.99
The Angle Pro knife sharpener lets you choose the angle of your knife edge and hone, sharpen, or add a new edge to your blade quickly and easily. TL;DR: Through April 16, this easy-to-use knife sharpener is only $55.99 with code ENJOY20. T.....»»
Israel accused of using AI to target thousands in Gaza, as killer algorithms outpace international law
The Israeli army used a new artificial intelligence (AI) system to generate lists of tens of thousands of human targets for potential airstrikes in Gaza, according to a report published last week. The report comes from the nonprofit outlet +972 Magaz.....»»
Team reports on ultrafast laser state active controlling based on anisotropic quasi-1D material
Tunable ultrafast lasers with adjustable parameters, such as wavelength, intensity, pulse width and laser states are desirable as next-generation intelligent light sources. Due to complex nonlinear effects within the ultrafast system, it is challengi.....»»
Researchers explain how cities can implement environmentally sustainable densification
The housing situation in Swiss cities and towns is currently the subject of intensive debate in politics and the media. Housing and densification is a key topic for spatial and urban planners—because, ultimately, they are tasked with implementing c.....»»
2,000 senior women win “biggest victory possible” in landmark climate case
Landmark ruling could motivate more climate litigation globally. Enlarge / Members of Swiss association Senior Women for Climate Protection react after the announcement of decisions after a hearing of the European Court of Human.....»»
A physicist uses X-rays to rescue old music recordings
Researchers are developing a technique that uses the special synchrotron X-ray light from the Swiss Light Source SLS to non-destructively digitize recordings from high-value historic audio tapes—including treasures from the Montreux Jazz Festival a.....»»
Propagating dimensions of light: Deforming versatile non-diffractive beams along the optical trajectory
The diffraction of light is a ubiquitous phenomenon in nature where waves spread out as they propagate. This spreading of light beams during propagation limits the efficient transmission of energy and information. Therefore, scientists have endeavore.....»»
Innovative sensing platform unlocks ultrahigh sensitivity in conventional sensors
Optical sensors serve as the backbone of numerous scientific and technological endeavors, from detecting gravitational waves to imaging biological tissues for medical diagnostics. These sensors use light to detect changes in the properties of the env.....»»
Kerr-enhanced optical spring for next-generation gravitational wave detectors
The detection of gravitational waves stands as one of the most significant achievements in modern physics. In 2017, gravitational waves from the merger of a binary neutron star were detected for the first time which uncovered crucial information abou.....»»