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Sensors on the Frontiers of Physics

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New devices manipulate light in unusual ways that can enable ultrasensitive detection, leading toapplications such as quantum communication and quantum computing.

David L. Shenkenberg, Features Editor, [email protected]

Computer chips based on light as opposed to electricity have only been theorized, but now researchers are actually developing computer chips that will use light for computer functions. At Yale University in New Haven, Conn., members of Hong Tang’s lab are already taking development of these photonic computer chips a step further. They are using light to power nanomachines built from computer chips, and these nanomachines could have numerous applications, including sensing molecules and even smaller particles. Existing computer chips such as these run on electricity, but the next...Read full article

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    Published: September 2009
    Glossary
    atomic force microscope
    An atomic force microscope (AFM) is a high-resolution imaging and measurement instrument used in nanotechnology, materials science, and biology. It is a type of scanning probe microscope that operates by scanning a sharp tip (usually a few nanometers in diameter) over the surface of a sample at a very close distance. The tip interacts with the sample's surface forces, providing detailed information about the sample's topography and properties at the nanoscale. Key features and principles of...
    cantilever
    A projecting beam or other structure supported only at one end.
    casimir force
    The Casimir force is a quantum phenomenon that results in an attractive force between two closely spaced uncharged conductive surfaces. This force arises from the quantum vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field between the surfaces. The Casimir effect was first predicted by Dutch physicist Hendrik Casimir in 1948 and has since been experimentally observed, providing a remarkable confirmation of quantum field theory. Key points about the Casimir force: Quantum vacuum fluctuations:...
    chip
    1. A localized fracture at the end of a cleaved optical fiber or on a glass surface. 2. An integrated circuit.
    microelectromechanical systems
    Refers to micron-size complex machines that have physical dimensions suitable for the fabrication of optical switches for use in state-of-the-art communications networks.
    optical tweezers
    Optical tweezers refer to a scientific instrument that uses the pressure of laser light to trap and manipulate microscopic objects, such as particles or biological cells, in three dimensions. This technique relies on the momentum transfer of photons from the laser beam to the trapped objects, creating a stable trapping potential. Optical tweezers are widely used in physics, biology, and nanotechnology for studying and manipulating tiny structures at the microscale and nanoscale levels. Key...
    radiation pressure
    The force exerted on a surface by radiation.
    atomic force microscopeBasic ScienceCaltechcantileverCasimir forcechipCMOSCommunicationscomputerDavid S. ShenkenbergDavid Winelandelectromagnetic fieldsFeaturesHong TangImagingLight SourcesMEMSmicroelectromechanical systemsMicroscopynanocantilevernanoelectromechanical systemsnanomachinesNature NanotechnologyNature PhotonicsNature PhysicsNEMSNISToptical tweezersoptomechanicsOskar Painterphotonic nanomachinesquantum communicationquantum computingquantum cryptographyradiation pressuresensingSensors & DetectorsShenkenbergsiliconstylus trapUniversity of Erlangen-NurembergWinelandYaleLEDs

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