When light Causes a Photoinduced Phase Transition
The way that ordinary materials undergo a phase change, such as melting or freezing, has been studied in great detail. Now, a team of researchers…
Photonics
Scientists Demonstrate New Method to Control the Behavior of Light
Yale scientists have demonstrated a new method to control the behavior of light on a silicon chip — specifically, its direction — by using sound…
Fish-Eye Lens May Produce Quantum Entanglement Between Atoms
Nearly 150 years ago, the physicist James Maxwell proposed that a circular lens that is thickest at its center, and that gradually thins out at…
“Time-Folded Optics” Create New Possibilities for Imaging
MIT researchers have developed novel photography optics that capture images based on the timing of reflecting light inside the optics, instead of the traditional approach…
Graphene Bolometer is Faster, Simpler and Covers More Wavelengths
Bolometers, devices that monitor electromagnetic radiation through heating of an absorbing material, are used by astronomers and homeowners alike. But most such devices have limited…
New Type of Silicon Laser Uses Sound Waves to Amplify Light
Yale scientists have created a new type of silicon laser that uses sound waves to amplify light. A study about the discovery appears in the…
Engineers Enhance the Interactions Between Light and Matter
A new way of enhancing the interactions between light and matter, developed by researchers at MIT and Israel’s Technion, could someday lead to more efficient…
Integrating Photonics with Silicon Nanoelectronics Into Chip Designs
New technique would allow addition of optical communication components to existing chips with little modification of their designs. Two and a half years ago, a…
Optoelectronic Chips Reduce Energy Usage, Increase Speed
Startup’s optoelectronic chips could reduce energy usage by up to 50 percent in data centers while increasing computing speeds. With novel optoelectronic chips and a…
Nanotweezers Open the Door to New Innovations in Medicine, Mobile Tech
It’s difficult to conceptualize a world where humans could casually manipulate nanoscale objects at will or even control their own biological matter at a cellular…
MIT Physicists Create a New Form of Light Where Photons Interact
Try a quick experiment: Take two flashlights into a dark room and shine them so that their light beams cross. Notice anything peculiar? The rather…
Engineers Design New LED-Based Train Headlight Optimized for Energy Savings
Researchers have designed a new LED-based train headlight that uses a tenth of the energy required for headlights using conventional light sources. If operated 8…
Scientists Observe New Exotic Phenomena in Photonic Crystals
Topological effects, such as those found in crystals whose surfaces conduct electricity while their bulk does not, have been an exciting topic of physics research…
Physicists Improve Optical Efficiency in Hexagonal Boron Nitride
A team of physicists, headed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), have demonstrated the means to improve the optical loss characteristics and transmission efficiency…
Researchers Develop Double-Pane Solar Windows That Generate Electricity
Using two types of “designer” quantum dots, researchers are creating double-pane solar windows that generate electricity with greater efficiency and create shading and insulation for…
Engineers Develop Flexible and Stretchable Photonic Devices
Engineers at MIT have developed a new material that can be repeatedly stretched and flexed without losing its optical properties. Researchers at MIT and several…
NIST Researchers Develop Nanoscale Devices That Respond to the Angle of Incident Light
Imagine a miniature device that suffuses each room in your house with a different hue of the rainbow—purple for the living room, perhaps, blue for…
Light-Emitting Diode and Photodetector for Silicon CMOS Chips
Researchers from MIT have designed a light-emitter and detector that can be integrated into silicon CMOS chips. The huge increase in computing performance in recent…