Optics and Photonics News RSS

Chemicals Switch on “Living Light”

Susan Curtis — 2026-05-14T12:15:13

Controlling and sustaining the glow emitted by living organisms opens a route toward practical devices.

Inertial Fusion’s Magnetic Noise Comes Under Scrutiny

Edwin Cartlidge — 2026-05-12T13:21:02

Simulations show that poorly understood fields are triggered automatically at a given laser intensity.

Measuring Forces Inside Living Cells

Meeri Kim — 2026-05-07T10:13:16

A flexible microlaser made from a silicone-based elastomer is suitable for a range of biomechanical experiments.

Keeping Microscope Images in Focus

Patricia Daukantas — 2026-05-06T14:33:10

New technique autofocuses microscopy pictures and boosts their depth of field.

Infrared Sensor Reveals Hidden Particulates

Susan Curtis — 2026-04-30T12:00:37

Portable device offers fast and accurate chemical analysis of ultrafine particles in the environment.

Intensity Hike Might Bust the Vacuum

Edwin Cartlidge — 2026-04-29T14:03:40

New technique to multiply laser intensities relies on careful tuning of plasma interactions.

A More Versatile Photonic Chip

Meeri Kim — 2026-04-23T12:08:11

Researchers stack tantala and lithium niobate to build a device that can produce bespoke colors.

A Portable Optical Clock Goes to Sea

Patricia Daukantas — 2026-04-22T14:18:27

A new ytterbium-171 timepiece could provide precision support to navigation systems.

Dragonfly Vision Offers Clues for Deep-Tissue Optogenetics

Susan Curtis — 2026-04-16T13:17:55

Uncovering the molecular pathways that enable the insects to see deep-red light could inspire new experimental tools.

Tiny Robots Clean Up in Laser Tests

Edwin Cartlidge — 2026-04-15T11:00:35

Nanoscale devices containing carefully arranged gold rods can move bacteria from point A to point B.

Light Reversibly Bends Perovskite Lattices

Patricia Daukantas — 2026-04-09T11:38:36

Research that quantifies shape change in semiconductor materials could lead to new types of photonic devices.

Recovering Entangled States Buried in Noise

Meeri Kim — 2026-04-08T12:10:36

A noise mitigation technique brings quantum technologies closer to real-world deployment.

Phonon Lasers Get Squeezed

Susan Curtis — 2026-04-03T10:05:37

A bright and coherent source of vibrational quanta offers new opportunities for precision metrology.

Neural Network Boosts Holographic Storage

Edwin Cartlidge — 2026-03-31T11:27:22

New scheme that exploits polarization could shrink data centers.

Record-Breaking Triple-Junction Solar Cells

Meeri Kim — 2026-03-27T12:05:55

New perovskite-silicon device reached a record certified power conversion efficiency of 30.02%.

Optical-Fiber Sensors Study Soil Health

Patricia Daukantas — 2026-03-25T14:08:44

Technique could offer insight on agricultural practices and sustainability at a finer resolution than remote-sensing methods.

Nanostructure Tunes the Handedness of Light

Edwin Cartlidge — 2026-03-18T12:13:27

Device’s ability to vary the chirality of light could be exploited in sensing and communication.

Laser Pulses Deliver Ultrafast Logic

Susan Curtis — 2026-03-16T11:14:36

A future generation of faster digital devices could be controlled using extremely short light pulses.

“Greener” Chemical Manufacturing via Plasmonics

Patricia Daukantas — 2026-03-12T10:49:59

Laser light enables the use of water rather than hazardous peroxides to fabricate plastics and other polymers.

Light-Directed Evolution of More Complex Proteins

Meeri Kim — 2026-03-11T12:14:16

New technique creates new possibilities for synthetic biology and biotechnology.