https://phys.org/physics-news/optics-photonics en-us The latest news on Optics and Photonics The idea of objects seamlessly disappearing, not just in controlled laboratory environments but also in real-world scenarios, has long captured the popular imagination. This concept epitomizes the trajectory of human civilization, from primitive camouflage techniques to the sophisticated metamaterial-based cloaks of today. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-drone-invisibility-autonomous-sea-air.html General Physics Optics & Photonics Wed, 06 Mar 2024 12:47:03 EST news628951621 Two physicists at the University of Konstanz are developing a method that could enable the stable exchange of information in quantum computers. In the leading role: photons that make quantum bits "fly." https://phys.org/news/2024-03-photons-quantum-bits-fly-stable.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Wed, 06 Mar 2024 11:47:03 EST news628948021 Stanford researchers have unveiled a new type of frequency comb, a high-precision measurement device, that is innovatively small, ultra-energy efficient, and exceptionally accurate. With continued development, this breakthrough "microcomb"—which is detailed in a study published March 7 in Nature—could be the basis for mass-market adoption of the devices in everyday electronics. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-ruler-enable-personal-devices.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 06 Mar 2024 11:00:01 EST news628942539 The many properties of light allow it to be manipulated and used for applications that range from very sensitive measurements to communications and intelligent ways to interrogate objects. A compelling degree of freedom is the spatial pattern, called structured light, which can resemble shapes such as donuts and flower petals. For instance, patterns with different numbers of petals can represent letters of the alphabet, and when observed on the other side, deliver the message. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-method-distortion.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:23:02 EST news628870981 For more than a decade it has been possible for physicists to accurately measure the location of individual atoms to a precision smaller than one-thousandth of a millimeter using a special type of microscope. However, this method has so far only provided the x and y coordinates. Information on the vertical position of the atom is lacking. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-method-3d-position-individual-atoms.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Tue, 05 Mar 2024 12:01:04 EST news628862462 Researchers have developed a new way to control and manipulate optical signals by embedding a liquid crystal layer into waveguides created with direct laser writing. The new devices enable electro-optical control of polarization, which could open new possibilities for chip-based devices and complex photonic circuits based on femtosecond-written waveguides. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-liquid-crystals-polarization-laser-written.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 04 Mar 2024 17:43:03 EST news628796581 In Nature Physics, the LSU Quantum Photonics Group offers fresh insights into the fundamental traits of surface plasmons, challenging the existing understanding. Based on experimental and theoretical investigations conducted in Associate Professor Omar Magaña-Loaiza's laboratory, these novel findings mark a significant advancement in quantum plasmonics, possibly the most noteworthy in the past decade. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-multiparticle-nanostructures-quantum-technologies.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Mon, 04 Mar 2024 12:00:01 EST news628775481 Quantum sensor technology promises even more precise measurements of physical quantities. A team led by Christian Roos at the University of Innsbruck has now compared the signals of up to 91 quantum sensors with one another and thus successfully eliminated the noise caused by interactions with the environment. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-spectroscopy-network-quantum-sensors-boosts.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Mon, 04 Mar 2024 09:41:12 EST news628767669 In day-to-day life, light seems intangible. We walk through it and create and extinguish it with the flip of a switch. But, like matter, light actually carries a little punch—it has momentum. Light constantly nudges things and can even be used to push spacecraft. Light can also spin objects if it carries orbital angular momentum (OAM)—the property associated with a rotating object's tendency to keep spinning. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-laser-merry.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 01 Mar 2024 11:55:06 EST news628516502 For a long time, it was thought that amorphous solids do not selectively absorb light because of their disordered atomic structure. However, a new uOttawa study disproves this theory and shows that amorphous solids actually exhibit dichroism, meaning that they selectively absorb light of different polarizations. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-scientists-reveal-formless-solids.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 29 Feb 2024 10:51:49 EST news628426306 A research team led by Professor Wang Cheng from the Department of Electrical Engineering (EE) at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has developed a world-leading microwave photonic chip that is capable of performing ultrafast analog electronic signal processing and computation using optics. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-world-microwave-photonics-chip-high.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:00:01 EST news628247695 Scientists have created a reprogrammable light-based processor, a world-first, that they say could usher in a new era of quantum computing and communication. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-capabilities.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Wed, 28 Feb 2024 10:17:42 EST news628337858 The simplest possible molecule H2+ was one of the very first molecules to form in the cosmos. This makes it significant for astrophysics, but also an important object of research for fundamental physics. However, it is difficult to study in experiments. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-simplest-molecule-precise-theoretical.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Tue, 27 Feb 2024 09:58:03 EST news628250281 Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have shown for the first time that expensive aberration-corrected microscopes are no longer required to achieve record-breaking microscopic resolution. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-reimagining-electron-microscopy-high-resolution.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 26 Feb 2024 17:44:03 EST news628191841 Scientists are getting a more detailed look than ever before at the electrons they use in precision experiments. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-laser-focused-electrons-shatters-world.html General Physics Optics & Photonics Mon, 26 Feb 2024 14:02:31 EST news628178545 Scientists at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have collaborated with the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) on a new study to better understand the degradation of blue organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The study has been published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-collaborating-scientists-insights-blue-oled.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:39:20 EST news628169957 Scientists at Paderborn University have used a new method to determine the characteristics of optical quantum states. For the first time, they are using certain photon detectors—devices that can detect individual light particles—for so-called homodyne detection. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-properties-scientists-method-quantum-states.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:04:14 EST news628167852 Stanford researchers are getting closer to building a tiny electron accelerator based on "accelerator-on-a-chip" technology with broad potential applications in studying physics as well as medical and industrial uses. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-chip-advance-electrons-microchip-scale.html General Physics Optics & Photonics Mon, 26 Feb 2024 10:52:04 EST news628167121 In our data-driven era, solving complex problems efficiently is crucial. However, traditional computers often struggle with this task when dealing with a large number of interacting variables, leading to inefficiencies such as the von Neumann bottleneck. A new type of collective state computing has emerged to address this issue by mapping these optimization problems onto something called the Ising problem in magnetism. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-array-vcsels-optical-feedback.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 23 Feb 2024 13:43:31 EST news627918205 Understanding complex biological and biomedical systems is greatly aided by 3D imaging, which provides much more detailed information than traditional two-dimensional methods. However, live cell and tissue imaging remain challenging due to factors like limited imaging speed and significant scattering in turbid environments. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-3d-chemical-imaging-phase-modulation.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 22 Feb 2024 12:44:03 EST news627828241 A team of researchers from the Max Born Institute in Berlin has, for the first time, demonstrated attosecond-pump attosecond-probe spectroscopy (APAPS) at a repetition rate of 1 kilohertz. This became possible by the development of a compact, intense attosecond source using an out-of-focus generation geometry. The approach opens new avenues for the investigation of extremely fast electron dynamics in the attosecond regime. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-chapter-attosecond-spectroscopy-kilohertz-repetition.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 22 Feb 2024 11:12:38 EST news627822755 National University of Singapore researchers and their collaborators have unveiled a novel concept termed "supercritical coupling" that enables a several-fold increase in photon upconversion efficiency. This discovery not only challenges existing paradigms, but also opens a new direction in the control of light emission. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-photon-upconversion-supercritical-coupling.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 22 Feb 2024 10:26:49 EST news627820007 An HZB physicist has developed a new method for the comprehensive characterization of semiconductors in a single measurement. The "Constant Light-Induced Magneto-Transport (CLIMAT)" is based on the Hall effect and allows the recording of 14 different parameters of transport properties of negative and positive charge carriers. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-parameters-instrument-optoelectronics.html Condensed Matter Optics & Photonics Wed, 21 Feb 2024 11:20:03 EST news627736801 While atomic clocks are already the most precise timekeeping devices in the universe, physicists are working hard to improve their accuracy even further. One way is by leveraging spin-squeezed states in clock atoms. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-quantum-dark-states-advantage-noise.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Mon, 19 Feb 2024 15:15:03 EST news627578101 Theoretical physicist Farokh Mivehvar has investigated the interaction of two collections of atoms emitting light inside a quantum cavity—an optical device consisting of two high-quality, tiny mirrors facing each other that confine the light within a small area for an extended time. The model and predictions can be implemented and observed in state-of-the-art cavity/waveguide-quantum-electrodynamics experiments and might have applications in the new generation of so-called superradiant lasers. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-physicist-applications-generation-superradiant-lasers.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Mon, 19 Feb 2024 09:51:05 EST news627558661 In the pursuit of sustainable energy solutions, the quest for more efficient solar cells is paramount. Organic photovoltaic cells have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional silicon-based counterparts due to their flexibility and cost-effectiveness. However, optimizing their performance remains a significant challenge. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-harnessing-hemispherical-shells-photovoltaics.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 16 Feb 2024 14:04:41 EST news627314679 University of Pennsylvania engineers have developed a new chip that uses light waves, rather than electricity, to perform the complex math essential to training AI. The chip has the potential to radically accelerate the processing speed of computers while also reducing their energy consumption. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-chip-door-ai.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 16 Feb 2024 05:00:01 EST news627231654 Making quantum systems more scalable is one of the key requirements for the further development of quantum computers because the advantages they offer become increasingly evident as the systems are scaled up. Researchers at TU Darmstadt have recently taken a decisive step toward achieving this goal. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-atom-based-quantum-atomic-qubits.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Thu, 15 Feb 2024 11:10:10 EST news627217801 University of Oxford researchers have used a new technique to measure the movement of charged particles (ions) on the fastest ever timescale, revealing new insights into fundamental transport processes. These include the first demonstration that the flow of atoms or ions possesses a "memory." The study, "The persistence of memory in ionic conduction probed by nonlinear optics," has been published in Nature. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-technique-reveals-atoms.html Condensed Matter Optics & Photonics Thu, 15 Feb 2024 10:31:04 EST news627215461 In the ever-evolving realm of microscopy, recent years have witnessed remarkable strides in both hardware and algorithms, propelling our ability to explore the infinitesimal wonders of life. However, the journey towards three-dimensional structured illumination microscopy (3DSIM) has been hampered by challenges arising from the speed and intricacy of polarization modulation. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-super-resolution-microscopy-harnesses-digital.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 14 Feb 2024 16:36:03 EST news627150961