Photonics Spectra: Energy This is the syndication feed for Photonics Spectra: Energy. https://www.photonics.com/Splash.aspx?Tag=Energy Fri, 29 Mar 2024 02:54:07 GMT Mon, 25 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT 1800 Research Project Will Revamp Fusion Analysis Method
A research project undertaken by the Center for Advanced Systems Understanding (CASUS) at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf (HZDR) aims to overhaul an analytical tool used to evaluate laser fusion. The work is being funded by the European Union via the Just Transition Fund and by the Free State of Saxony.

Scientists on the “X-ray laser optimization of laser fusion” project (Röntgenlaser-Optimierung der Laserfusion or ROLF), led by Tobias Dornheim of CASUS, are to develop machine-learning methods to enable a reliable theoretical description of warm dense matter (WDM).

“One major issue of laser fusion is achieving stable compression with the laser blast,” said Dornheim. “It is imperative that...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Research_Project_Will_Revamp_Fusion_Analysis/p5/a69837 A69837 Mon, 25 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT
Longview Fusion Energy Advance Toward Fusion Power Plant
According to Longview, its fusion power plants (1000-1600 MW) will be able to provide enough power to cover the needs of a small city when operating at full capacity, or provide process heat or power to drive industrial production of the materials needed for operational necessities...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Longview_Fusion_Energy_Advance_Toward_Fusion/p5/a69802 A69802 Tue, 12 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT
Hyperfluorescent Blue OLEDs Boost Display Efficiency, Stability
Commercial OLED applications such as display technologies require blue emitters that are more stable and efficient. This need has been intensified by newly proposed power-efficient OLED display architectures that only use blue pixels with external fluorescent color conversion layers.

A Durham University team took an unexpected approach to improving blue light emission in OLEDs. The team used sensitizer molecules long considered poor emitters, like ACRSA, to enable brighter, more efficient blue OLEDs. When ACRSA was used as a sensitizer in the new technology, which the researchers called hyperfluorescence (HF) OLEDs, the efficiency of blue light emission almost tripled.

“We discovered a ‘blind spot’ where...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Hyperfluorescent_Blue_OLEDs_Boost_Display/p5/a69755 A69755 Thu, 22 Feb 2024 07:00:00 GMT
Metamaterial’s Magnetoelectric Response Could Enable New Applications
An optical metamaterial from Aalto University has the potential to enable applications that would otherwise need a strong external magnetic field to work.

The 3D metamaterial demonstrates an isotropic and resonant nonreciprocal magnetoelectric (NME) response in the visible frequency range. The NME effect, also known as the Tellegen effect, has both electric and magnetic properties. In materials exhibiting the NME effect, magnetization can be induced by the electric component of light, and polarization can be generated by the magnetic component.

The NME effect is negligible in natural materials. However, due to its technological potential, there have been various attempts by scientists to enhance the NME effect using...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Metamaterials_Magnetoelectric_Response_Could/p5/a69748 A69748 Wed, 21 Feb 2024 07:00:00 GMT
Organic Optoelectronics Device Supports IoT in Low-Power Environments
Organic-based optoelectronics have the potential to provide an energy-efficient way to operate low-power indoor devices and wireless IoT sensors. Organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) and organic photodetectors (OPDs) show exceptional promise for powering indoor electronic devices sustainably. However, the manufacturing processes for stand-alone OPVs and OPDs can be complex and costly, resulting in high production costs and limited scalability.

OPVs can absorb energy and generate electricity, even under very low light conditions, while OPDs are able to acquire images. So far, the independent development paths for OPVs and OPDs have kept them from achieving the level of efficiency necessary for practical use in next-generation,...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Organic_Optoelectronics_Device_Supports_IoT_in/p5/a69732 A69732 Wed, 14 Feb 2024 07:00:00 GMT
Optical Imaging Circuit Bridges Timescales in High-Speed Photography
Ultrafast optical imaging is typically measured in picoseconds, whereas high-speed electronic cameras image at the millisecond and microsecond timescale. To bridge the gap between these technologies, a research team at the University of Tokyo developed a technology they’re calling “spectrum circuit,” a precision optical circuit that allows superfine images to be taken over multiple timescales at high speed. Using the new technology, the researchers demonstrated nanosecond photography as well as ultrawide-time-range, high-speed photography.

Spectrum circuit produces nondamaging laser pulses that are set to emit at different time intervals. In addition to tunable time intervals, the pulse trains produced by spectrum...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Optical_Imaging_Circuit_Bridges_Timescales_in/p5/a69580 A69580 Thu, 28 Dec 2023 07:00:00 GMT
Team Deepens Understanding of IC-PIC Integration's Thermal Penalty
Co-packaged optics for high performance computing and other data center applications require dense integration of silicon PICs with electronic integrated circuits (EICs). Stacking an electronic chip on top of a photonic chip allows for a tight integration of the components necessary to convert data from the electrical to the optical domain with low parasitic capacitance.

However, 3D integration comes with a stiff thermal penalty and the silicon (Si) photonic chips used to convert electrical data into the optical domain are highly sensitive to temperature changes. These modulators require active thermal tuning for stable operation in a demanding environment like a data center. Thermal stabilization is provided via integrated heaters....]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Team_Deepens_Understanding_of_IC-PIC/p5/a69557 A69557 Thu, 21 Dec 2023 07:00:00 GMT
DOE Unites Fusion Research Trailblazers with $42M Injection
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has unveiled a $42 million initiative to establish three research hubs — at the University of Rochester (UR), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and Colorado State University (CSU) — to address critical work in fusion energy. The effort stems from the Inertial Fusion Energy Science and Technology Accelerated Research (IFE-STAR) program, which the DOE announced in May.

IFE-STAR projects will develop high-gain target designs; high-efficiency lasers at high repetition rates; and IFE-relevant fusion target manufacturing, tracking, and engagement. Supported by the DOE Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES), this project will establish the foundational science and technology for a...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/DOE_Unites_Fusion_Research_Trailblazers_with_42M/p5/a69523 A69523 Mon, 11 Dec 2023 07:00:00 GMT
Plasma-infused Pulse Compression Proposes Pathway to Zettawatt Lasers
The ability to compress laser pulses to ultrahigh powers could open the way for compact lasers in the order of exawatt and above. Such powerful lasers would enable scientists to push the limits of physical science by deepening their study of the nature of matter.

A new method for laser pulse compression, developed jointly by researchers at the University of Strathclyde, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), and Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), exploits the dispersive property of inhomogeneous plasma to compress laser pulses. According to the researchers, the method is simpler and more efficient than other plasma-based schemes for compressing laser pulses.
The plasma-based approach holds the...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Plasma-infused_Pulse_Compression_Proposes_Pathway/p5/a69483 A69483 Tue, 21 Nov 2023 07:00:00 GMT
UV-based 3D Printing Accelerates Multipurpose Glass Production
Current 3D-printing techniques for fabricating glass involve time-consuming processes that require high temperatures and considerable resources to complete.

In a new approach, a research team at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) used deep ultraviolet (DUV) light, instead of extremely high temperatures, to 3D-print glass microstructures. The micron-size, silica glass structures resulting from the team’s printing technique could be used in optics, microfluidics, medical devices, and other applications.
Researchers used this raw material to create 3D-printed glass structures no bigger than the width of a human hair. The researchers employed a light-sensitive resin based on a widely used soft polymer called PDMS...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/UV-based_3D_Printing_Accelerates_Multipurpose/p5/a69404 A69404 Wed, 18 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT
Terahertz Generation Method Targets Ultrafast Electronics
Terahertz (THz) waves can be used to probe the magnetic properties of new materials. Efficient THz wave generation could advance applications in energy harvesting, ultrafast electronics, and THz spectroscopy.

Bright, coherent THz light sources can be achieved via high-frequency, high-density charge currents. It is possible to produce strong current density that is several orders of magnitude higher than what is typically found in electronic devices, by exciting nanometer-scale, metallic interfaces with femtosecond laser pulses.

To harness the power of high-density charge currents for generating THz waves, researchers at Fudan University, Shanghai Research Center for Quantum Sciences, and Beijing Normal University developed an...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Terahertz_Generation_Method_Targets_Ultrafast/p5/a69368 A69368 Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT
DARPA Selects Design Teams for Power Beaming Relay Initiative
DARPA has selected three teams, led by RTX Corp., Draper, and BEAM Co., to develop wireless optical power relays for its Persistent Optical Wireless Relay (POWER) program. The program, which will develop energy distribution through airborne wireless power transfer, sets out goals including the demonstration of key components necessary for a resilient, speed-of-light energy network.
Artist’s concept of a wireless energy distribution system. DARPA selected three teams to develop wireless optical power relays for its Persistent Optical Wireless Relay (POWER) program. The program will develop energy distribution through airborne wireless power transfer. Its goals include the demonstration of components necessary for a speed-of-light...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/DARPA_Selects_Design_Teams_for_Power_Beaming/p5/a69330 A69330 Mon, 18 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT
Underwater Laser Cutting Method Optimizes Efficiency
The need for modern technologies to dismantle existing underwater infrastructure is growing due to increasing demand for renewable energy sources. For example, to bring a wind power plant in the sea up to higher powers, the existing old steel frames, which may be below sea level, must first be dismantled so that engineers can rebuild them to obtain these higher powers.

In laboratory tests, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS (Fraunhofer IWS) have developed a shortwave green laser method for beneath-sea cutting that offers multiple advantages over commonly used techniques that use saws, automatic saw wires, and plasma cutters, for example.

According to the researchers, the technique is...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Underwater_Laser_Cutting_Method_Optimizes/p5/a69294 A69294 Mon, 11 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT
Industrial Photocatalyst Harnesses the Visible Spectrum
Photocatalysts show the potential to be used in energy generation and environmental detoxification applications. This is an intriguing quality, since reducing energy use in bulk industrial processes can create a trade-off between efficiency and environmental harm. Fossil fuels, for example, have helped humanity expand and innovate for hundreds of years. But their environmental toll and inevitable depletion create a need for a safer and more abundant resource, like solar power.

Highly effective photocatalysts, however, tend to be very expensive, as well as difficult and dangerous to develop. Many contain precious metals such as platinum and gold, which also have a negative environmental impact.

Researchers at the University of...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Industrial_Photocatalyst_Harnesses_the_Visible/p5/a69290 A69290 Mon, 04 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT
Caelux, UbiQD Advance Solar Technology Pursuits: Week in Brief: 08/18/23
Perovskite technology developer Caelux closed a $12 million series A3 funding round. The company’s series A total of $24 million will be allocated to support its factory ramp, R&D, and product launch. The Caltech spinout is building a manufacturing facility in Baldwin Park, Calif., as it ramps up to reach 100 mW of perovskite-coated glass. The company’s perovskite-on-glass approach aims to drive down solar costs and accelerate renewables growth.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics was awarded a $14.9 million contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to study pulsed-laser effects. According to the university, the funding approximately doubles the annual...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Caelux_UbiQD_Advance_Solar_Technology_Pursuits/p5/a69255 A69255 Fri, 18 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT
SPIE Optics + Photonics to Host Industry Leaders, Discuss the Best in Tech
SPIE’s five-day Optics + Photonics trade show and exhibition will return to the San Diego Convention Center Aug. 20-24, with the company exhibition portion scheduled to run Aug. 22-24. Attendees can expect over 2200 presentations in a multitude of photonics-related fields. Optics + Photonics 2023 will comprise sessions in over 50 conference topics, with plenary talks, technical presentations, and industry courses offered with professional development opportunities and an onsite job fair.

Design and engineering inspired symposia

Nanoscience, organic photonics, and optical engineering will feature as the three symposia for this year’s program. Fifty-three technical conferences will welcome guests in technology areas...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/SPIE_Optics_Photonics_to_Host_Industry_Leaders/p5/a69238 A69238 Mon, 14 Aug 2023 08:00:00 GMT
NUBURU Contracts with NASA to Trial Blue Laser-Based Power Beaming
During the initial phase of the project, according to NUBURU, the company will focus on establishing the scientific, technical, and commercial merit and feasibility of its technology. The company plans to then create a commercially viable product to tackle bottlenecks associated with existing high costs as...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/NUBURU_Contracts_with_NASA_to_Trial_Blue/p5/a69229 A69229 Wed, 09 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT
CSU and Marvel Fusion to Build $150M Facility
Colorado State University (CSU) and Marvel Fusion have partnered to build a $150 million laser facility to enable research into inertial fusion energy and high energy density physics. The public-private partnership will see the facility constructed on the CSU Foothills Campus pending finalization of financial details by the CSU system board of governors.

Targeted for completion in 2026, the project is planned to feature at least three laser systems, each with a multi-petawatt peak power and an ultrafast repetition rate of 10 flashes per second. The flagship facility will be designed to accommodate expansion and additional lasers in the future. The selected site for the new laser facility is near CSU’s existing Advanced Beam...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/CSU_and_Marvel_Fusion_to_Build_150M_Facility/p5/a69224 A69224 Tue, 08 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT
NIF Scientists Claim Repeat Fusion Breakthrough
Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the National Ignition Facility (NIF) have reportedly advanced last December’s laser fusion breakthrough result. For the second time, scientists obtained more energy from a fusion reaction than the process consumed — achieving a so-called net energy gain.

Results were reported Sunday in the Financial Times. Media outlets including The Washington Post, The Guardian, and Bloomberg also shared the news.

Initial reports indicate that the reaction occurred July 30 and returned more energy than the December reaction.

Fusion — both laser-based (inertial confinement fusion) and magnetic confinement fusion — is widely viewed as a vital source of...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/NIF_Scientists_Claim_Repeat_Fusion_Breakthrough/p5/a69223 A69223 Mon, 07 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT
Blue Laser Fusion Raises $25M in Seed Funding
The round comes after two domestic laser-based fusion technology companies raised $20 million in combined funding this spring. And...]]>
https://www.photonics.com/Articles/Blue_Laser_Fusion_Raises_25M_in_Seed_Funding/p5/a69197 A69197 Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT