Photonics & Imaging

AI Boosts Super-Resolution Microscopy

Researchers have provided a new open-source algorithm called Conditional Variational Diffusion Model (CVDM). Based on generative AI, this model improves the quality of images by reconstructing them from randomness. In addition, the CVDM is computationally less expensive than established diffusion models — and it can be easily adapted for a variety of applications. Read on to learn more.

Meet SMSPDs: Superconducting Microwire Single-Photon Detectors

Plans are underway to create more powerful particle accelerators, whose collisions will unleash large subatomic storms. How will researchers sift through the chaos? Read on to find out.

New Products

See the new products, including the VITA 93 QMC Mezzanine Modules from Acromag; fiber-optic sensors of the optoCONTROL CLS1000 series from Micro-Epsilon; AW-Lake's TG Series Gas Turbine Flow Meter; NewTek Sensors' advanced Linear Variable Differential Transformer specifically designed to withstand the extreme environments found in next-gen molten salt reactors; and more.

Better Images for Humans and Computers

Maksym Kovalenko and his team have proposed a novel solution that allows them to utilize every photon of light for color recognition. For nearly a decade, they have been researching perovskite-based image sensors. In a new study published in Nature, they show that their new technology works. Read on to learn more.

New App Performs Real-Time, Full-Body Motion Capture With a Mobile Device

Northwestern engineers have developed a new system for full-body motion capture — and it doesn’t require specialized rooms, expensive equipment, bulky cameras, or an array of sensors. Instead, it requires a simple mobile device. Read on to learn more.

Meet RoboBall: A Robot with No Fixed Top or Bottom

Two decades after the original idea, RoboBall is rolling across Texas A&M University. The RAD Lab is intent on sending the novel spherical robot into uncharted terrain.

STARLight Project Launches European Value Chain for Silicon Photonics Production

The Silicon Technology for Applications Relying on Light with Photonics Devices (STARLight) project brings together a consortium of leading industrial and...

An AI-Powered Robodog Is Here to Save the Day!

While the average pampered pup at home may lounge on the couch and demand belly rubs, the robotic dogs being created at Arizona State University are stepping up to take on some of the world’s most dangerous tasks.

How Much Do You Know About the History of Television?

Television was king during the second half of the 20th century — what do you know about the history of the technology?

5Ws of the Mini Spectrometer

North Carolina State University engineers have built a tiny spectrometer that is orders of magnitude smaller than current technologies and can accurately measure wavelengths of light from ultraviolet to the near infrared.

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including a new tunable laser that uses a series of rings to smoothly emit many light wavelengths from a single chip; a smart capsule called PillTrek, which can measure pH, temperature, and a variety of different biomarkers; and more.

A New Computer Vision Method Enables Faster Screening of Electronic Materials

A new computer vision technique developed by MIT engineers significantly speeds up the characterization of newly synthesized electronic materials. The technique automatically analyzes images of printed semiconducting samples and quickly estimates two key electronic properties for each sample. Read on to learn more.

Advanced Thermal Inspection with Pulsed Light Emitting Diodes (PLED) Technology

Engineers at NASA Langley Research Center have developed a cutting-edge thermal inspection technology that enhances defect detection on low-emissivity surfaces by eliminating false readings caused by infrared reflections. Read on to learn more.

Twisted Moiré Photonic Crystals

Researchers have developed an on-chip twisted moiré photonic crystal sensor that uses MEMS technology to control the gap and angle between the crystal layers in real time. The sensor can detect and collect detailed polarization and wavelength information simultaneously. Read on to learn more.

Positioning Wafers with Micrometer Precision for PECVD Coating

For loading and unloading workpiece carriers containing wafers of different sizes in an automated process prior to PECVD coating, acp systems has developed a robotic solution aided by image processing for a leading manufacturer of space solar technology. Read on to learn more.

New Imaging Technologies Achieve Real-Time Boundary Detection, Single-Shot High-Dynamic Range Imaging

Patent-pending imaging technologies created in Purdue University’s College of Engineering could be developed and commercialized for applications as diverse as medical imaging, autonomous navigation, surveillance, microscopy, and advanced manufacturing. Read on to learn more about it.

Optimizing Laser Cutting in Semiconductor Advanced Packaging

DPSS lasers are a critical enabling technology for meeting the precision materials processing demands of advanced packaging. Both nanosecond and USP lasers can achieve excellent results, but the right choice depends on specific requirements. Read on to learn more.

New Products

See the new products, including Corning Incorporated's Corning® Gorilla® Glass Ceramic; Epoxy Technology's EPO-TEK®353NDP, a high-performance, humidity-resistant epoxy; Edmund Optics' off-the-shelf HOLO/OR Diffractive Diffusers and Beamsplitters; Teledyne Technologies subsidiary FLIR's advanced multispectral imaging solution; and much more.

Tunable Laser Light

Researchers have invented a new type of tunable semiconductor laser that combines the best attributes of today’s most advanced laser products, demonstrating smooth, reliable, wide-range wavelength tuning in a simple, chip-sized design. Read on to learn more about it.

Sensitive Yet Tough Photonic Devices Are Now a Reality

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have achieved a long-sought milestone in photonics: creating tiny optical devices that are both highly sensitive and durable — two qualities that have long been considered fundamentally incompatible. Read on to learn more.

Chiral Photonic Device Combines Light Manipulation with Memory

As fast as modern electronics have become, they could be much faster if their operations were based on light, rather than electricity. Fiber optic cables already transport information at the speed of light, but to do computations on that information without translating it back to electric signals will require a host of new optical components. Researchers have now developed such a device. Read on to learn more.

A Technological Breakthrough for Ultra-Fast and Greener AI

AI systems like ChatGPT are notorious for being power-hungry. To tackle this challenge, a team from the Centre for Optics, Photonics and Lasers has come up with an optical chip that can transfer massive amounts of data at ultra-high speed. As thin as a strand of hair, this technology offers unrivaled energy efficiency. Read on to learn more.

Noninvasive Imaging Method Can Penetrate Deeper Into Living Tissue

Metabolic imaging is a noninvasive method that enables clinicians and scientists to study living cells using laser light, which can help them assess disease progression and treatment responses. But light scatters when it shines into biological tissue, limiting how deeply it can penetrate and hampering the resolution of captured images. Now, MIT researchers have developed a new technique that more than doubles the usual depth limit of metabolic imaging. Read on to learn more.

Knowing the Right Trigger Strategy Ensures Capture of High-Speed Application With Precision

Why should you know the right trigger strategy? Read on to find out.

AI-Powered Vision System Helps Drones Navigate Safely

The skies are getting crowded. Every day, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration manages tens of thousands of flights — from drones and helicopters to commercial jets. As air traffic...

Hibiscus: New Possibilities in Satellite Thermal Imaging

When Hibiscus is sent into orbit at the end of 2026, it will open new possibilities to combat global warming and increase heat efficiency for urban planners.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including a solution for actuating choke and other valves in subsea applications; Sumida's new CEP1311F Flyback Transformers, designed for use with “no-opto” isolated flyback circuits; SPIROL's range of 2024 aluminum Press-In Inserts; Instron's AVE3, an advanced non-contacting video extensometer that delivers precise strain measurement with unparalleled, micron-level accuracy; and more.