Photonics/Optics

Access our comprehensive library of technical briefs on photonics and optics, from engineering experts at NASA and major government, university, and commercial laboratories.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Soft Prosthetic Hand Feels Surroundings via Stretchable Optical Waveguides

Sensors in the hand can actually detect forces being transmitted through the thickness of the robot.

Briefs: Imaging

Navigation Measurement Software

This program provides a relative navigation capability for spacecraft, remotely operated terrestrial vehicles, and machine vision.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Soft Hardware for More Flexible Robots

Combined muscles and sensors made from soft materials allow for adaptable robots.

Briefs: RF & Microwave Electronics

Process for Producing High-Quality, Lightweight Mirrors

The process provides a cost-effective solution for applications in space-based imaging systems, military reconnaissance, and satellite and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs

Device Modulates Light and Amplifies Tiny Signals

This system can amplify a faint signal from a neighboring system even when that signal’s amplitude is as small as ten trillionths of a meter.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Improving Data Speeds with Laser-Activated Magnets

Mini-magnets could enable cloud computing systems to process data up to 100 times faster than current technologies.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Optically Reconfigurable Charge-Transfer Liquid Crystals

These re-writeable materials have applications in data storage and encryption, energy transducers, and optical display technologies.

Briefs: Materials

Carbon Nanostructure is Stronger Than Diamonds

A novel plate-cell architecture reaches the theoretical limit of performance.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Low-Cost Detection of Thin Film Stress During Fabrication

This method uses fiber optic probes for measurement of semiconductors, optical coatings, magnetic read/write heads, and precision machines.

Briefs: Imaging

Sussex Researchers Combine Lasers, Computers & THz Waves to Build Camera That Sees ‘Unseen’ Details

The nonlinear camera captures high-resolution images of the interior of solid objects using terahertz (THz) radiation.

Briefs: Imaging

Bats Inspire Detectors to Help Prevent Oil and Gas Pipe Leaks

Engineers have developed a new scanning technique inspired by the natural world that can detect corroding metals in oil and gas pipelines.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Moving Precision Communication, Metrology, Quantum Applications from Lab to Chip

A team is exploring new materials for telecommunications and LIDAR applications.

Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems

New Graphene-Based Metasurface Capable of Independent Amplitude and Phase Control of Light

Researchers described a new strategy of designing metamolecules.

Briefs: Data Acquisition

High-Efficiency Laser for Silicon Chips

Applications include optical data transfer, infrared and night-vision systems, environmental sensors, and breath analysis for medical diagnosis.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Defects Enable High-Performance Infrared Photodetectors

A highly sensitive, CMOS-compatible, broadband photodetector was created by tailoring material defects.

Briefs: Materials

Polymer Twists and Bends in the Presence of Light

A liquid crystal elastomer can be programmed to exhibit controllable, dynamic behavior without the need for complex electronic components.

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Seeing Around Corners to Detect Object Shapes

Special light sources and sensors see around corners or through gauzy filters, enabling reconstruction of the shapes of unseen objects.

Briefs: Materials

Additive Manufacturing Method for Sub-Microscale Three-Dimensional Structures

Applications include MEMS, microlattice fabrication, and other sub-microscale 3D structures with a broad range of materials.

Briefs: Imaging

Cryogenic Near-Field Optical Microscope Images Dynamics of Graphene

This imaging technique could impact optical communications and signal processing.

Briefs: Semiconductors & ICs

Terahertz Imaging System Uses Small, Efficient Lasers

The lasers are small and efficient enough to fit on a microchip.

Briefs: Electronics & Computers

Using Sound and Light for Ultrafast Data Transfer

This method could lead to the transmission of data at the rate of 100 gigabits per second.

Briefs: Data Acquisition

NASA Space Data Can Cut Disaster Response Times, Costs

The NASA study is a first step in developing a model to deploy in future disasters.

Briefs: Photonics/Optics

Researchers Generate Terahertz Laser with Laughing Gas

In the middle ground between microwaves and visible light lies terahertz radiation, and the promise of “Tray vision.”

Briefs: Sensors/Data Acquisition

Remote, Noninvasive Cardiac Activity Tracer (RENCAT)

This vibrometer has uses in analyzing spasms in humans, as a breath analyzer for diagnosis of cancer and other diseases, and as a preventative healthcare sensor.