https://phys.org/physics-news/optics-photonics en-us The latest news on Optics and Photonics Researchers at the University of Sydney Nano Institute have invented a compact silicon semiconductor chip that integrates electronics with photonic, or light, components. The new technology significantly expands radio-frequency (RF) bandwidth and the ability to accurately control information flowing through the unit. https://phys.org/news/2023-12-photonic-chip-lego-door-semiconductor.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 01 Dec 2023 07:14:49 EST news620637287 Interactions between intense laser pulses and plasma mirrors have been the focus of several recent physics studies due to the interesting effects they produce. Experiments have revealed that these interactions can generate a non-linear physical process known as high-order harmonics, characterized by the emission of extreme ultraviolet radiation (XUV) and brief flashes of laser light (i.e., attosecond pulses). https://phys.org/news/2023-11-anomalous-relativistic-emission-intense-interaction.html Optics & Photonics Plasma Physics Fri, 01 Dec 2023 07:00:01 EST news620560616 The practice of keeping time hinges on stable oscillations. In a grandfather clock, the length of a second is marked by a single swing of the pendulum. In a digital watch, the vibrations of a quartz crystal mark much smaller fractions of time. And in atomic clocks, the world's state-of-the-art timekeepers, the oscillations of a laser beam stimulate atoms to vibrate at 9.2 billion times per second. These smallest, most stable divisions of time set the timing for today's satellite communications, GPS systems, and financial markets. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-stable-clocks-quantum-phenomena-presence.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Thu, 30 Nov 2023 09:53:04 EST news620560381 Optical wireless may no longer have any obstacles. A study by Politecnico di Milano, conducted together with Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa, the University of Glasgow and Stanford University, and published in Nature Photonics, has made it possible to create photonic chips that mathematically calculate the optimal shape of light to best pass through any environment, even one that is unknown or changing over time. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-photonic-chips-optimal-next-gen-wireless.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 29 Nov 2023 13:21:24 EST news620486481 Researchers at the University of Konstanz have discovered a new type of ultrafast magnetic switching by investigating fluctuations that normally tend to interfere with experiments as noise. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-scientists-ultrafast-magnetic-noise.html Condensed Matter Optics & Photonics Wed, 29 Nov 2023 11:00:42 EST news620478039 In research, sometimes the bumpy path proves to be the best one. By creating tiny, periodic bumps in a miniature racetrack for light, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and their colleagues at the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), a research partnership between the University of Maryland and NIST, have converted near-infrared (NIR) laser light into specific desired wavelengths of visible light with high accuracy and efficiency. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-scientists-miniaturized-technique-generate-precise.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 28 Nov 2023 16:29:02 EST news620411339 Scientists have revealed how lattice vibrations and spins talk to each other in a hybrid excitation known as an electromagnon. To achieve this, they used a unique combination of experiments at the X-ray free electron laser SwissFEL. Understanding this fundamental process at the atomic level opens the door to ultrafast control of magnetism with light. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-secret-life-electromagnon-ultrafast-magnetism.html Condensed Matter Optics & Photonics Tue, 28 Nov 2023 10:49:03 EST news620390941 Particle accelerators hold great potential for semiconductor applications, medical imaging and therapy, and research in materials, energy and medicine. But conventional accelerators require plenty of elbow room—kilometers—making them expensive and limiting their presence to a handful of national labs and universities. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-compact-technology-major-energy-milestone.html Optics & Photonics Plasma Physics Tue, 28 Nov 2023 09:36:43 EST news620386600 Scientists at the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (SARI) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have proposed and validated a novel approach for single-shot characterization of ultrashort free-electron laser pulses based on self-referenced spectral interferometry. Their innovative approach, published in Physical Review Letters, offers a promising solution to the challenges of ultrafast scientific experiments. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-scientists-approach-single-shot-characterization-ultrashort.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 28 Nov 2023 08:57:03 EST news620384221 Deep learning has revolutionized the way we perceive and utilize data. However, as datasets grow and computational demands increase, we need more efficient ways to handle, store, and process data. In this regard, optical computing is seen as the next frontier of computing technology. Rather than using electronic signals, optical computing relies on the properties of light waves, such as wavelength and polarization, to store and process data. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-orbital-angular-momentum-encoded-diffractive-networks-classification-tasks.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 27 Nov 2023 14:58:03 EST news620319481 For the first time, researchers have succeeded in selectively exciting a molecule using a combination of two extreme-ultraviolet light sources and causing the molecule to dissociate while tracking it over time. This is another step towards specific quantum mechanical control of chemical reactions, which could enable new, previously unknown reaction channels. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-combining-extreme-ultraviolet-sources-quantum-mechanical.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Wed, 22 Nov 2023 15:53:03 EST news619890781 Acoustic beam shaping with high degrees of freedom is critical for ultrasound imaging, acoustic regulation, and stimulation. The ability to fully regulate the acoustic pressure profile relative to its propagation path remains to be achieved. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-acoustic-diffraction-resistant-profile-technology-elasticity.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 21 Nov 2023 10:00:01 EST news619782712 Processing quantum information relies on interacting qubits—the basic building blocks of quantum information—to perform computational tasks. Scientists are searching for the optimal qubit platform that can perform operations more efficiently, accurately and as fast as possible. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-ions-nano-sized-particles-platform-quantum.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Tue, 21 Nov 2023 09:56:49 EST news619783006 Researchers at the University of Warsaw's Faculty of Physics have superposed two light beams twisted in the clockwise direction to create anti-clockwise twists in the dark regions of the resultant superposition. The results of the research have been published in Optica. This discovery has implications for the study of light-matter interactions and represents a step towards the observation of a peculiar phenomenon known as a quantum backflow. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-boomerang-like-quantum-backflow-dimensions.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Mon, 20 Nov 2023 12:44:21 EST news619706658 Optical scientists have found a new way to significantly increase the power of fiber lasers while maintaining their beam quality, making them a future key defense technology against low-cost drones and for use in other applications such as remote sensing. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-high-power-fiber-lasers-emerge-technology.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 20 Nov 2023 10:11:03 EST news619697461 A novel measurement technique has been developed to visualize the fluid flow and distribution within two droplets levitated and coalesced in space using fluorescence-emitting particles. This technique enabled the estimation of fluid motion within each droplet, thereby revealing the internal flow caused by surface vibration when the droplet merging promotes fluid mixing. Details have been published in Scientific Reports. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-technique-fluid-mixing-phenomena-imaging-method.html Optics & Photonics Soft Matter Thu, 16 Nov 2023 10:32:19 EST news619353137 Metamaterials are products of engineering wizardry. They are made from everyday polymers, ceramics, and metals. And when constructed precisely at the microscale, in intricate architectures, these ordinary materials can take on extraordinary properties. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-technique-acoustic-lenses-impact-resistant-futuristic.html Condensed Matter Optics & Photonics Wed, 15 Nov 2023 11:00:01 EST news619263421 A new method of creating laser pulses, more than 1,000 times as powerful as those currently in existence, has been proposed by scientists in the UK and South Korea. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-laser-pulse-compression-density-gradient.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 14 Nov 2023 09:57:03 EST news619178221 Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) in Hamburg, Germany, have shown that a previously demonstrated ability to turn on superconductivity with a laser beam can be integrated on a chip, opening up a route toward opto-electronic applications. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-photo-induced-superconductivity-chip.html Optics & Photonics Superconductivity Mon, 13 Nov 2023 11:33:03 EST news619097581 Lasers are essential tools for observing, detecting, and measuring things in the natural world that we can't see with the naked eye. But the ability to perform these tasks is often restricted by the need to use expensive and large instruments. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-photonics-team-high-performance-ultrafast-lasers.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 09 Nov 2023 14:00:01 EST news618747906 Researchers from the Niels Bohr Institute (NBI) have removed a key obstacle for development of extremely sensitive monitoring devices based on quantum technology. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-major-obstacle-quantum-sensor.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Wed, 08 Nov 2023 12:40:40 EST news618669637 Microscopes usually use backscattered radiation to create images, but a research group from the Institute of Industrial Science at the University of Tokyo is developing a new method to study materials using the faint light they emit, generated by heat https://phys.org/news/2023-11-hot-microscopy-materials-evanescent.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 07 Nov 2023 10:05:03 EST news618573901 Information transfer in free space using ultraviolet, visible, or infrared waves has been gaining interest because of the availability of large bandwidth for high-data-rate communication. However, the presence of opaque occlusions or walls along the path between the transmitter and the receiver often impedes information transfer by blocking the direct line of sight. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-team-method-communicating-arbitrary-opaque.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 06 Nov 2023 14:58:03 EST news618505081 Researchers from the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester have discovered a way to use light to accelerate proton transport through graphene, which could revolutionize the way we generate hydrogen. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-graphene-proton-permeability-future-energy.html Condensed Matter Optics & Photonics Mon, 06 Nov 2023 11:23:51 EST news618492228 Scientists led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a novel method to produce intense and ultra-fast lasers that holds promise for making precise devices that can speed up how quickly trace amounts of pollutants and hazardous gases can be sniffed out. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-gases-on-the-spot-generate-powerful-lasers.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 06 Nov 2023 10:35:10 EST news618489306 In the realm of engineering and material science, detecting hidden structures or defects within materials is crucial. Traditional terahertz imaging systems, which rely on the unique property of terahertz waves to penetrate visibly opaque materials, have been developed to reveal the internal structures of various materials of interest. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-hidden-defects-materials-single-pixel-terahertz.html Condensed Matter Optics & Photonics Mon, 06 Nov 2023 09:58:03 EST news618487081 Researchers in Germany and the U.S. have produced the first theoretical demonstration that the magnetic state of an atomically thin material, α-RuCl3, can be controlled solely by placing it into an optical cavity. Crucially, the cavity vacuum fluctuations alone are sufficient to change the material's magnetic order from a zigzag antiferromagnet into a ferromagnet. The team's work has been published in npj Computational Materials. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-vacuum-optical-cavity-material-magnetic.html Condensed Matter Optics & Photonics Fri, 03 Nov 2023 11:06:02 EDT news618228361 For researchers wanting to understand the inner workings of magnetic materials, transmission electron microscopy is an indispensable tool. Because the wavelength of an electron is much shorter than the wavelength of visible light, a beam of electrons transmitted through a thin slice of a material can create an image in which the inner structure of the material is magnified up to 50 million times, many orders of magnitude more than with an optical microscope. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-long-standing-problem-transmission-electron-microscopy.html Condensed Matter Optics & Photonics Thu, 02 Nov 2023 13:05:34 EDT news618149130 Harnessing and controlling light is vital for the development of technology, including energy harvesting, computation, communications, and biomedical sensing. Yet, in real-world scenarios, complexity in light's behavior poses challenges for its efficient control. Physicist Andrea Alù likens the behavior of light in chaotic systems to the initial break shot in a game of billiards. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-bartering-scientists-chaotic-behavior.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 02 Nov 2023 12:12:38 EDT news618145955 Quantum-based systems promise faster computing and stronger encryption for computation and communication systems. These systems can be built on fiber networks involving interconnected nodes which consist of qubits and single-photon generators that create entangled photon pairs. https://phys.org/news/2023-11-optical-fiberbased-single-photon-source-room.html Optics & Photonics Quantum Physics Thu, 02 Nov 2023 10:46:03 EDT news618140761