Optical

The mysteries of human perception are endlessly fascinating. For over a decade the Neural Correlate Society has been running an annual competition celebrating the best new perceptual illusions, and the 2018 winners are sure to short-circuit your brain … in the best possible way.

The concept of an invisibility cloak sounds like pure science fiction. But researchers have developed a new device that works in a completely different way to existing technology, neatly sidestepping some past issues and potentially helping to hide everyday objects under everyday conditions.

​Eye exams may be getting quicker and easier, plus ophthalmologists may be able to save money on equipment, thanks to a new instrument developed by scientists in Poland and Spain. Unlike existing eye-examining technology, it allows the entire eye (from front to back) to be imaged via a single lens.

The 2D wonder material, graphene, has a long list of superpowers, but one thing it hasn’t been great at is absorbing light. Now, a study from the University of Central Florida (UCF) has found a way to boost graphene’s light absorption, allowing it to make better use of that energy.

Using extra-sensitive optical detectors built into a soft prosthetic hand, researchers at Cornell University have demonstrated a prototype that is able to tell by touch whether fruit is ripe, or to modify the pressure exerted on a material simply in response to the way it feels.

Scientists have used a form of liquid light to create a semiconductor switch that is so small that it not only blurs the distinction between light and electricity, but could also enable the development of much faster and smaller electronic components well into the future.

Incorporating a number of quantum technologies on a single integrated chip, an international team of researchers claim that their work paves the way for quantum computing circuits to be built into a range of everyday devices

A study led by researchers at the University of Bristol in the UK has revealed the mechanism by which mantis shrimp are able to manipulate light to communicate. The data could lead to the development of a new type of polarizer.

Researchers at University College London have created a new record for the fastest ever data transfer rate for digital information, at an incredible 1.125 terabits per second.

Researchers from Vanderbilt University have created the world's smallest continuous spirals. The spirals exhibit a set of very specific optical properties that would be difficult to fake, making them ideal for use in identity cards or other items where authenticity is paramount.

Using newly-developed metamaterials, scientists at the University of Buffalo have created a prototype "hyperlens" that may help image objects in visible light with dimensions so small that they were once only clearly viewable through electron microscopes.

A team of researchers has created a new device that allows for the steering of light around sharper corners than ever before. The device is tiny, constructed from an inexpensive material, and could one day become an integral part of computer hardware.