https://phys.org/physics-news/optics-photonics en-us The latest news on Optics and Photonics Scientists on the hunt for compact and robust sources of multicolored laser light have generated the first topological frequency comb. Their result, which relies on a small silicon nitride chip patterned with hundreds of microscopic rings, appears in the journal Science. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-photonic-chip-spawns-topological-frequency.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Thu, 20 Jun 2024 15:42:04 EDT news638116921 The human eye can only see light at certain frequencies (called the visible spectrum), the lowest of which constitutes red light. Infrared light, which we can't see, has an even lower frequency than red light. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have now fabricated a device to increase or "up-convert" the frequency of short infrared light to the visible range. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-infrared-visible-device-2d-material.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 20 Jun 2024 13:18:45 EDT news638108321 A team of international scientists led by the University of Ottawa have gone back to the kitchen cupboard to create a recipe that combines organic material and light to create quantum states. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-qa-method-confines-material-hybrid.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Thu, 20 Jun 2024 12:17:00 EDT news638104614 The quantum internet would be a lot easier to build if we could use existing telecommunications technologies and infrastructure. Over the past few years, researchers have discovered defects in silicon—a ubiquitous semiconductor material—that could be used to send and store quantum information over widely used telecommunications wavelengths. Could these defects in silicon be the best choice among all the promising candidates to host qubits for quantum communications? https://phys.org/news/2024-06-platform-probe-qubits-silicon-quantum.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:23:03 EDT news638014981 Terahertz waves are being intensely studied by researchers around the world seeking to understand the "terahertz gap." Terahertz waves have a specific frequency that puts them somewhere between microwaves and infrared light. This range is referred to as a "gap" because much remains unknown about these waves. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-generation-intense-terahertz-magnetic-material.html Condensed Matter Optics & Photonics Wed, 19 Jun 2024 10:15:03 EDT news638010901 Photonic alloys, alloy-like materials combining two or more photonic crystals, are promising candidates for the development of structures that control the propagation of electromagnetic waves, also known as waveguides. Despite their potential, these materials typically reflect light back in the direction where it originated. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-photonic-alloy-topological-properties.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 19 Jun 2024 08:00:01 EDT news637947432 Researchers at University of Tsukuba have developed an ultrafast time-resolved scanning electron microscopy instrument by integrating a scanning electron microscope with a femtosecond laser. This innovative system facilitates the observation of the instantaneous states of various materials. Their paper is published in the journal ACS Photonics. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-technique-visualization-instantaneous-states-materials.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 18 Jun 2024 12:50:01 EDT news637933696 X-ray microscopes are essential for examining components and materials because they can be used to detect changes and details in the material. Until now, however, it has been difficult to detect small cracks or tiny inclusions in the images. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-method-ray-microscopy-tiny-defects.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 18 Jun 2024 12:50:01 EDT news637933606 Brillouin scattering is the phenomenon of the inelastic scattering of light by thermally generated acoustic vibrations. Brillouin-based optical fiber sensing can be used to measure temperature and strain distributions by determining how the light scatters in the presence of various stimuli. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-method-brillouin-optical-fiber-infrastructure.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 18 Jun 2024 12:46:23 EDT news637933581 Exciton-polariton lasers, renowned for their low-power operation, have long tantalized researchers with their promise for practical low-energy applications. However, until now, a clean measurement of the laser's linewidth, or spectral purity, has remained elusive. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-ultra-high-spectral-purity-revealed.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 18 Jun 2024 09:03:04 EDT news637920181 The potential of quantum computers is currently thwarted by a trade-off problem. Quantum systems that can carry out complex operations are less tolerant to errors and noise, while systems that are more protected against noise are harder and slower to compute with. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-quantum-problem.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Tue, 18 Jun 2024 09:01:04 EDT news637920061 UCLA researchers have created a new type of imager that can capture features much smaller than the limitations of traditional optical systems. This innovation has the potential to revolutionize fields like bioimaging, lithography and material science. The research is published in the journal eLight. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-compact-diffractive-imager-subwavelength-resolution.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 17 Jun 2024 09:20:29 EDT news637834827 In a study published in Nature Communications, collaborating physicists from Singapore and the UK have reported an optical analog of the Kármán vortex street (KVS). This optical KVS pulse reveals fascinating parallels between fluid transport and energy flow of structured light. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-physicists-optical-analog-krmn-vortex.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 13 Jun 2024 16:17:03 EDT news637514221 Spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC), as a source of entangled photons, is of great interest for quantum physics and quantum technology, but so far it could be only implemented in solids. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-liquid-crystal-source-photon-pairs.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Thu, 13 Jun 2024 10:31:03 EDT news637493461 Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have unveiled a technology that could revolutionize the fields of imaging and optical communications. Led by Aydogan Ozcan and his team, the research introduces an all-optical phase conjugation (OPC) method using diffractive wavefront processing. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-unveil-optical-phase-conjugation.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 13 Jun 2024 10:14:27 EDT news637492463 Researchers have used inkjet printing to create a compact multispectral version of a light field camera. The camera, which fits in the palm of the hand, could be useful for many applications including autonomous driving, classification of recycled materials and remote sensing. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-leverage-inkjet-portable-multispectral-3d.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 12 Jun 2024 16:07:26 EDT news637427241 A team led by researchers at HHMI's Janelia Research Campus has adapted a class of techniques employed in astronomy to unblur images of far-away galaxies for use in the life sciences, providing biologists with a faster and cheaper way to get clearer and sharper microscopy images. The findings are published in the journal Optica. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-astronomy-method-unblur-microscopy.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 12 Jun 2024 16:03:17 EDT news637426995 Waves pick up information from their environment through which they propagate. A theory of information carried by waves has now been developed at TU Wien—with astonishing results that can be utilized for technical applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-theory.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Wed, 12 Jun 2024 11:22:59 EDT news637410176 The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) has developed a novel quantum sensor technology that allows the measurement of perturbations in the infrared region with visible light by leveraging the phenomenon of quantum entanglement. This will enable low-cost, high-performance IR optical measurement, which previously accompanied limitations in delivering quality results. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-quantum-sensor-limits-optical-entanglement.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Mon, 10 Jun 2024 15:38:28 EDT news637252706 Similar to how a radio antenna plucks a broadcast from the air and concentrates the energy into a song, individual atoms can collect and concentrate the energy of light into a strong, localized signal that researchers can use to study the fundamental building blocks of matter. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-quantum-optical-antennas-powerful-atomic.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Mon, 10 Jun 2024 13:33:04 EDT news637245181 Lasers have revolutionized the world since the 60s and are now indispensable in modern applications, from cutting-edge surgery and precise manufacturing to data transmission across optical fibers. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-chip-scale-erbium-based-laser.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 10 Jun 2024 09:50:28 EDT news637231825 Thousands of particles of light can merge into a type of "super photon" under suitable conditions. Physicists call such a state a photon Bose-Einstein condensate. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-perturbations-super-photons.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Fri, 07 Jun 2024 11:02:03 EDT news636976921 Vortices are a common physical phenomenon. You find them in the structure of galaxies, tornadoes and hurricanes, as well as in a cup of tea, or water as it drains from the bathtub. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-photons-quantum-reveals-collide-vortices.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Thu, 06 Jun 2024 10:01:47 EDT news636886904 In a development at the intersection of quantum mechanics and general relativity, researchers have made significant strides toward unraveling the mysteries of quantum gravity. This work sheds new light on future experiments that hold promise for resolving one of the most fundamental enigmas in modern physics: the reconciliation of Einstein's theory of gravity with the principles of quantum mechanics. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-quantum-behavior-gravity-photonic-simulation.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Wed, 05 Jun 2024 11:21:03 EDT news636805261 Optical waves propagating through air or multi-mode fiber can be patterned or decomposed using orthogonal spatial modes, with far-ranging applications in imaging, communication, and directed energy. Yet the systems that perform these wavefront manipulations are cumbersome and large, restricting their utilization to high-end applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-3d-microscale-photonic-lantern-opportunities.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 03 Jun 2024 23:00:02 EDT news636644102 In the dynamic realm of optical physics, researchers are continually pushing the boundaries of how light can be manipulated and harnessed for practical applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-complex-metasurface-advances-optical-physics.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Mon, 03 Jun 2024 09:48:00 EDT news636626876 To reliably perform complex, large-scale calculations, computing systems rely on so-called error correction schemes, techniques designed to protect information against errors. These techniques are perhaps even more essential when it comes to quantum computers, devices that perform computations leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-framework-quantum-spherical-codes.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Mon, 03 Jun 2024 09:40:01 EDT news636625868 Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have achieved a significant milestone in optical imaging technology. A new all-optical complex field imager has been developed, capable of capturing both amplitude and phase information of optical fields without the need for digital processing. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-imager-amplitude-phase-digital.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 31 May 2024 13:16:48 EDT news636380204 A new study published in Nature, conducted by an international collaboration team led by Prof. Wei Li from the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics (CIOMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduces a novel miniaturized photodetector capable of characterizing arbitrary polarization states across a broadband spectrum with a single device and a single measurement. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-dispersion-photodetector-decipher-high-dimensional.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 27 May 2024 09:17:03 EDT news636020221 Both literally and figuratively, light pervades the world. It banishes darkness, conveys telecommunications signals between continents and makes visible the invisible, from faraway galaxies to the smallest bacterium. Light can also help heat the plasma within ring-shaped devices known as tokamaks as scientists worldwide strive to harness the fusion process to generate green electricity. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-discoveries-nature-methods-fusion-plasma.html Optics & Photonics Plasma Physics Thu, 23 May 2024 11:37:04 EDT news635683021