Creating different kinds of light with manipulable quantum properties
Researchers describe a noteworthy step forward in the quantum manipulation and control of light.
Read moreOptics
High-speed microscope illuminates biology at the speed of life
The team behind the revolutionary 3D SCAPE microscope announces today a new version of this high-speed imaging technology. They used SCAPE 2.0 to reveal previously unseen details of living creatures — from neurons firing inside a wriggling worm to the 3D dynamics of the beating heart of a fish embryo, with far superior resolution and at speeds up to 30 times faster than their original demonstration.
Read moreA laser, a crystal and molecular structures
Researchers have built a new tool to study molecules using a laser, a crystal and light detectors. This new technology will reveal nature's smallest sculptures — the structures of molecules — with increased detail and specificity.
Read moreGoing with the (slow) flow: New technique could improve biotech, precision medicine
Researchers have developed an optical system that accurately measures the flow of extraordinarily tiny amounts of liquids — as small as 10 billionths of a liter (nanoliters) per minute.
Read moreChemists clarify a chiral conundrum
Researchers set out to untangle the mysterious interactions in mixtures of proteins and gold nanorods. Their experiments revealed multilevel chirality in the way proteins prompt nanoparticles to align and in how the particles' plasmons respond to light in the proteins' presence.
Read moreJumping the gap may make electronics faster
A quasi-particle that travels along the interface of a metal and dielectric material may be the solution to problems caused by shrinking electronic components, according to an international team of engineers.
Read moreVirtual human hand simulation holds promise for prosthetics
Animating human hands has long been considered one of the most challenging problems in computer graphics. That's because it has been impossible to capture the internal movement of the hand in motion — until now. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a technique inspired by the visual effects industry, researchers have developed the world's most realistic model of the human hand's musculoskeletal system in motion. Applications include computer graphics, prosthetics, medical education, robotics, virtual reality.
Read moreCompute at the speed of light
A new way to achieve integrated photonics — a new device has been developed that could have applications in imaging, sensing and quantum information processing, such as on-chip transformation optics, mathematical operations and spectrometers.
Read moreLaser-based system detects fires even in dusty, harsh environments
Researchers have developed a new laser-based system that offers an efficient and low-cost way to detect fires in challenging environments such as industrial facilities or large construction sites. With further development, the system could eventually detect fires that are more than a kilometer away.
Read moreMachine learning finds new metamaterial designs for energy harvesting
Electrical engineers have harnessed the power of machine learning to design dielectric (non-metal) metamaterials that absorb and emit specific frequencies of terahertz radiation. The technique drops the time needed to simulate possible configurations from more than 2,000 years to 23 hours, which should facilitate the design of sustainable types of thermal energy harvesters and lighting.
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