May 1, 2018 — As automation becomes an increasingly familiar feature throughout numerous industries, demand for technologies to be smarter and offer more has never been more prominent — from manufacturing a smartphone in North America to installing a pipeline in Asia. Optical sensors act as transducers by converting light to electrical signals that can be interpreted, measured, analyzed, and manipulated by instruments. From surveillance and monitoring to fingerprint recognition, optical sensors are essential...

Feb 26, 2018 — The danger facing today’s global defense force is shifting. With the rise in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and enemies gaining greater ballistic missile expertise, ultraprecise and quick-response laser systems are attracting more interest...

Dec 21, 2017 — Quantum physics is a peculiar field. In the subatomic domain, the usual physical laws no longer apply. Instead, nonintuitive behaviors reign and new laws govern. A case in point is the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, which tells us that it is not...

Oct 31, 2017 — Materials at the nanoscale can behave in surprising ways. While the properties of macro materials can often be predicted, the behaviors of a material invisible to the naked eye can differ greatly. Providing insight into this nanospace is essential...

Oct 3, 2017 — Organic materials could supersede their inorganic cousins in many applications thanks to some unique and intriguing properties. From lasers, lighting and Li-Fi (light fidelity) to OLED TVs and solar cells, organic photonics offers a thin, flexible...

May 3, 2017 — It’s a complex, technology-mixing ecosystem that combines sensors, IT and networking technologies to enable billions of devices to be connected around the world. On a typical day, you may not even realize the plethora of smart technology...

Mar 21, 2017 — As sensors shrink in size, they are able to reach places that were previously inaccessible — such as inside the human body. What is more, incorporating such increasingly tiny sensors within a medical device means there is more space left for added...

Feb 24, 2017 — From smartphones, smart homes and autonomous vehicles to crop science, food inspection and space observations, optical sensors are finding increasing use in the commercial sector. Image sensing evolved from the military arena to commercial...

Nov 21, 2016 — Imagine testing for a host of diseases and conditions in a single sample of blood, saliva, urine or even a few tear drops. Cancers, heart conditions, viruses, food allergies and sepsis are just some of the tests that could be carried out using...

Oct 4, 2016 — From silicon photonics and quantum dots to metamaterials and carbon nanotubes, innovative materials promise a faster, brighter and more integrated future. While some materials have already enjoyed a measure of commercial success, for others, the...

Aug 31, 2016 — In 2018, a six-and-a-half-meter mirror made up of 18 hexagonal segments will quietly unfurl 1.5 million km from Earth, marking the end of years of intense research and refining of optics fabrication techniques. In the silence of space, the James...

Apr 27, 2016 — Microscope developers are a resourceful bunch, opting to use the light source available to them at the time to peer at or below the surface of various materials. Even dating back to the 17th century, Galileo used sunlight to produce the very first...