Tying light in knots

Jan 18 | News

Using advanced optical control techniques and holograms, researchers in the UK reported the ability to bend light into “knots”. The achievement is possible because of light’s ability to form vortices, or whirls and eddies that in some sense replicate the flow of water in a river.

World’s first working plasmonic laser lights up

12/8/2009 | News

Bridging the gap between electronics, optics, and photonics on the nanometer scale, the plasmonic laser was first suggested seven years ago, but didn’t work until an Air Force Office of Scientific Research scientist created a nanowire-enabled insulating gap the size of a protein molecule. The design is intended to be integrated into existing semiconductor platforms.

Breakthrough power for quantum cascade lasers

12/3/2009 | News

Northwestern Univ. researchers have achieved a breakthrough in quantum cascade laser output power, delivering 120 W from a single device at room temperature. That’s up from just 34 W a year ago and is particularly attractive for anyone wishing to use infrared countermeasure, a way of misguiding incoming missiles to protect commercial and military aircrafts.

Controlling living cells with light

8/12/2009 | News

Univ. of Central Florida researchers have shown for the first time that light energy can gently guide and change the orientation of living cells within lab cultures. The ability to optically steer cells could help harness the healing power of stem cells and guide them to areas of the body that need help.

Stacking the deck for organic solar power

8/4/2009 | News

A new class of economically viable solar power cells—cheap, flexible and easy to make—has come a step closer to reality as a result of recent work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where scientists have deepened their understanding of the complex organic films at the heart of the devices.

Metrology system handles thin films for solar cells

6/1/2009 | Tools And Technology

Lehighton Electronics has augmented and enhanced of its 1800 Series line of equipment for the characterization of solar cells and flat panel displays.

To Boldly Do What No Laser Has Done Before

4/23/2007 | Featured Articles

About seven months ago, the Dept. of Energy's (DOE) Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), Menlo Park, Calif., broke ground for the linear accelerator (LINAC) Coherent Light Source (LCLS).

Integrated Optics Drive Fiber-to-the-Home Solutions

5/17/2005 | Featured Articles

Industry works to solve the inefficiencies that have stymied the creation of a reliable and widely accessible all optical telecommunications network for the home.

X-ray Imager Peers Into an Explosive World

3/18/2005 | Featured Articles

An innovative approach harnessing crystals exposes the inner workings of the world's most powerful x-ray source.

Is the LED the Light Source of the Future?

5/18/2004 | Featured Articles

LEDs may be the first real technological revolution in lighting in one hundred years, but can they provide enough optical power to be truly practical? The OSRAM 6-lead MULTILED (left) is a single package with individually addressable red, green, and blue LEDs.

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Much ado about next to nothing

Mar 15

The recent review of the past 10 years of the National Nanotechnology Initiative--as presented by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology--suggested the rise of nanomanufacturing as the near future of nanotechnology. But the actual proposed funding reflects a cautious approach, even about nanotech in general.

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

Mar 5

I typically attend the annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy each year in pursuit of specific coverage. This year, I sought out candidates for coverage in a vacuum technology article, and pulled together some instruments for a spectroscopy guide. But as busy as that kept me, it wasn’t all mass spectrometers and vacuum pumps on the show floor.  

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NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

Jan 7

NuGard First Response Protective Clothing are lightweight coveralls, jackets, and pants that provide protection from heat and flame while keeping the wearers body temperature constant.

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Jan 7

Professor David Wessel shows his multi-touch interface that uses computer technologies that allow him to experiment with fine controls to "caress" the instrument.