Optics

Compact Laser Systems A Million Times Better

Lasers are ubiquitous but there are still wavelengths for which only large and expensive ones exist, or none at all. Remote sensing and medical applications call for compact laser systems, for example with wavelengths from the near infrared to the Teraher ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 6 2014 - 1:00pm

How To Takes Pictures At Distances Smaller Than The Wavelength Of Light

We all understand light has a wide electromagnetic spectrum and we only see a small band of that. In physics terms, that is between 400- 700 nanometers and they show up as colors,from violet to red. We can't see in the ultraviolet radiation spectrum ...

Article - News Staff - Jul 18 2014 - 3:33pm

Everything You Want To Know About On-Chip Topological Light

Topological transport of light is the photonic analog of topological electron flow in certain semiconductors. In the electron case, the current flows around the edge of the material but not through the bulk. It is "topological" in that even if e ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 1 2014 - 4:13pm

Bioinspired Peptides: Biological Microstructures Light Up After Heating

Physicists investigating tubular biological microstructures that showed unexpected luminescence after heating. Bioinspired peptides, like the ones investigated, could be useful for applications in optical fibers, biolasers and future quantum computers. The ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 3 2014 - 1:52am

Scientists Control Mouse Brains Using Lasers

It’s hard to focus after a bad night’s sleep and by using mice and flashes of light, scientists have found why; just a few nerve cells in the brain may control the switch between internal thoughts and external distractions. The study  may be a breakthroug ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 14 2014 - 1:30pm

Photonic Circuits? Nano-Optical Cables 10X Smaller Than Copper Wiring On Chips

The invention of fiber optics revolutionized the way we share information, allowing us to transmit data at volumes and speeds we'd only previously dreamed of, and now are breaking another barrier, designing nano-optical cables small enough to replace ...

Article - News Staff - Aug 19 2014 - 5:00pm

Superfast Data Using Radio Waves Rather Than Optics

Using twisted light to send data at almost unimaginable speeds is not new but researchers have developed a similar technique using radio waves- high speeds without the hassles that go with optical systems.  ...

Article - News Staff - Sep 16 2014 - 10:44pm

Light Can Play Seesaw At The Nanoscale

Electrical engineering researchers have developed a unique nanoscale device that demonstrates mechanical transportation of light. The nanoscale device that can capture, measure and transport fundamental particles of light- photons. The tiny device is just ...

Article - News Staff - Sep 22 2014 - 3:00pm

Predicting Landslides With Light

Optical sensors are used all around the world to monitor the condition of difficult-to-access places like the underbellies of bridges, the exterior walls of tunnels, the feet of dams, long pipelines and railways in remote areas. ...

Article - News Staff - Sep 29 2014 - 2:00pm

Optogenetics: Manipulating Memories With Light

Look into the light- unless you want to keep your memories. UC Davis psychologists have used light to erase specific memories in mice and proved a basic hypothesis fpr how different parts of the brain work together to retrieve episodic memories. Optogenet ...

Article - News Staff - Oct 10 2014 - 8:00am