Dark Matter Detector Devised
Sep. 30, 2009
A scintillating bolometer containing a crystal comprised of bismuth, germinate and oxygen (BGO) has been developed to detect the dark matter of the universe. Researchers from the University of Zaragoza in Spain and France's Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS) developed the bolometer, which has been tested at the Canfranc Underground Laboratory in Huesca, Spain. To work properly, the device has to be kept supercold, at temperatures near absolute zero (-273.15 °C), and housed under tons of rock in an underground lab.
1st Atomic-scale QD Map Made
Sep. 29, 2009
The first atomic-scale maps of quantum dots was created by a team of physicists at the University of Michigan, who say it is a major step toward producing “designer dots” that can be tailored for specific applications.
Science Medalists Named
Sep. 29, 2009
Pioneers in the fields of astronomical telescope building, computer simulation, and medical imaging were chosen to receive the National Medal of Science, the highest honor bestowed by the US government on scientists, engineers and inventors.
LightPath Loss Narrows in Q4
Sep. 29, 2009
Optics manufacturer LightPath Technologies Inc. said its net loss for the fourth quarter of 2009 was $317,568, less than half of what it posted for the third quarter and down significantly from the $1.7 million loss in the second quarter and the $1.1 million it posted during Q4 a year ago.
ICs Built at -234 ºF
Sep. 28, 2009
Physicists at UC San Diego successfully created speedy integrated circuits with particles called “excitons,” which operate at commercially cold temperatures. This development brings closer to reality the possibility of a new type of extremely fast computer based on such particles.
Atom-moving Marks 20 Years
Sep. 28, 2009
Twenty years ago this week, IBM Fellow Don Eigler became the first person in history to move and control an individual atom, an ability that heralded the age of nanotechnology.
Light from the Dawn of Time
Sep. 25, 2009
The Planck, a European Space Agency mission with significant participation from NASA, has captured...
Implant Stimulates Sight
Sep. 23, 2009
Inspired by the success of cochlear implants that can restore hearing to some deaf people,...
Indium Buys NanoFoil Maker
Sep. 23, 2009
Materials supplier Indium Corp. announced it has acquired Reactive NanoTechnologies Inc. (RNT), a Hunt Valley, Md.-based maker of the electronics material NanoFoil®. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Physicist Wins 'Genius' Grant
Sep. 22, 2009
Applied physicist John A. Rogers of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who develops flexible electronic devices using organic substrates instead of silicon, will receive $500,000 in “no strings attached” support over the next five years, courtesy of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Bling Boosts Raman Lasers
Sep. 21, 2009
Researchers in Australia demonstrated the first Raman laser built with man-made diamonds that has comparable efficiency to a laser built with other materials.
Light Links Graphene, Gallium
Sep. 18, 2009
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) scientists succeeded in making graphene visible on gallium arsenide – an achievement previously only possible on silicon oxide – by using a light optical microscope.
Light Reveals Neuron Function
Sep. 17, 2009
Using innovative light-activated proteins and gene expression techniques, scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley, zapped several zebra fish with a light pulse, initiating a swimming action in a subset of fish that was traced back to the neuron that drives the side-to-side motion of their tail fins.
Corning Acquires Labware Firm
Sep. 16, 2009
Specialty glass maker Corning Inc. announced Wednesday that it has acquired labware maker Axygen BioScience Inc. for about $400 million in cash and will integrate the business into its Life Sciences segment.
EO Technics Buys Powerlase
Sep. 16, 2009
Laser marking, etching, and engraving equipment maker EO Technics of Korea said it has acquired UK-based Powerlase, a developer of Q-swtiched, diode-pumped solid-state lasers, for an undisclosed amount. The company, renamed Powerlase Photonics, will remain in Crawley, England.
Optelecom-NKF Cuts 23 Jobs
Sep. 16, 2009
Optelecom-NKF Inc., a supplier of video over IP (VoIP) and video-over-fiber products, announced...
Cells Respond to Laser Light
Sep. 15, 2009
For the first time, researchers have imported a light-controlled “on-off switch” from plants into a mammalian cell to instantly control a variety of cell functions by creating a hybrid protein that causes mouse cells to move in response to laser light.
Artificial Nose Knows Toxins
Sep. 14, 2009
An artificial nose for detecting toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) that works by visualizing odors has been developed, and according to Kenneth Suslick and his team at the University of Illinois, it’s simple, fast and inexpensive. The sensor array, likened to a polka-dotted postage stamp, could help detect high exposures to harmful chemicals.
Carbon Nanotube Solar Cells
Sep. 14, 2009
Using a rolled-up sheet of graphene instead of traditional silicon, Cornell University researchers created the basic elements of a solar cell that they hope will lead to much more efficient ways of converting light to electricity. But issues such as cost-effective scalability and reliability could prevent wide-scale use of the carbon nanotubes, the researchers acknowledged. "What we've observed is that the physics is there," said Nathan Gabor, a graduate student in the lab of lead researcher Paul McEuen.
Schott Solar Exits Roseville
Sep. 11, 2009
Schott Solar Inc. said it is streamlining its North American sales operations by closing its existing office in Roseville, Calif., and moving those operations to its new flagship manufacturing facility in Albuquerque.
NKT Photonics Opens US Unit
Sep. 11, 2009
NKT Photonics A/S of Denmark said it opened a subsidiary, NKT Photonics Inc., in Morganville, N.J., to serve its growing North American market.
Blue Bananas Linked to Cell Death
Sep. 10, 2009
Bright blue luminescent rings found under UV light on the peels of very ripe bananas hold promise for studying how organisms rid themselves of dying cells, according to chemists in the US and Austria.
LEDs, Tea Better Than Botox?
Sep. 10, 2009
A new noninvasive technique for treating facial wrinkles by combining high-intensity LED light and a lotion made of green tea extract could become an alternative to Botox and cosmetic surgery. The new treatment works 10 times faster than a similar antiwrinkle treatment that uses LEDs alone, said researchers at the University of Ulm.
‘Lit’ Bacteria Tracks Virus
Sep. 9, 2009
By attaching light-emitting genes to infectious bacteria in an experimental system, researchers tracked where in the body the bacteria go – giving an insight into the path of the infection process, which could lead to the development of more targeted treatments.
Rehabbed Hubble Opens Eyes
Sep. 9, 2009
Colorful multiwavelength pictures of far-flung galaxies, an eerie "pillar of creation" and a butterfly-shaped nebula are some of the new observations taken by new and upgraded instruments on the renovated Hubble Space Telescope and released to the public today. Hubble's suite of new instruments is now allowing it to view a wide swath of the universe's spectrum, from ultraviolet light all the way to near-infrared light. “This marks a new beginning for Hubble,” said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters. “The telescope has been given an extreme makeover and is now significantly more powerful than ever -- well equipped to last far into the next decade.”
Medical Laser Makers Merging
Sep. 9, 2009
Israel-based Syneron Medical Ltd. and Candela Corp. of Wayland, Mass., announced they will merge in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $65 million.
Lasers Generate Sound in H2O
Sep. 8, 2009
A new technology uses laser light flashes to remotely create underwater acoustics and has the potential to expand and improve naval and commercial underwater acoustic applications, including undersea communications, navigation and acoustic imaging.
Portable Optical Atomic Clock
Sep. 4, 2009
Optical clocks, like the strontium clock at Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) in Braunschweig, are already 10 times more precise and stable than the best primary caesium atomic clock and may soon become portable, too.
Nanoplasmonic Devices Funded
Sep. 4, 2009
Queen's University Belfast and Imperial College London will establish a research program on the fundamental science of nanoplasmonic devices under a new £6 million (about $9.8 million) grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) announced this week.
PSI Acquires QCL Maker
Sep. 4, 2009
Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) acquired College Park, Md.-based Maxion, a maker of long-wavelength (3-12 µm) infrared semiconductor lasers, including quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), interband cascade lasers and related systems, for an undisclosed amount. Maxion develops long-wavelength (3-12 µm) infrared semiconductor lasers, including QCLs, interband cascade lasers (ICLs) and related systems.
Laser ‘Tattooed’ Fruit Label
Sep. 3, 2009
Those small and sometimes inconvenient sticky labels on produce may eventually be replaced by laser etching, a new technology being tested by the Agricultural Research Service and University of Florida that puts tattooes on grapefruit and other produce so it can be identified at supermarket checkout lines.
Mount Wilson Fire Threat Wanes
Sep. 3, 2009
A massive effort by thousands of firefighters on the ground and by retardant-carrying aircraft...
Fire Threatens Observatory
Sep. 1, 2009
A wildfire raging in Angeles National Forest is threatening the 105-year-old Mount Wilson Observatory, home to several of the most technologically advanced facilities in the world for studying astronomical objects with unprecedented resolution and clarity.