Optics

One of the oldest problems in optics has been solved. Rafael Gonzalez from the Tecnologico de Monterrey has come up with an almost comically dense equation that can be used to almost completely eliminate spherical aberration in optical lenses, and the effects could be widespread.

​Here's an extraordinary photography project worth keeping an eye on: the Lensrentals team has been working on building the widest angle fisheye lens in existence, a C-4 Optics 4.9mm, f/3.5 hyper-fisheye monster with a 270-degree field of view - that's right, it can see behind itself.

In the modern day, we’re used to sending messages to people over long distances, usually by way of a phone. But now, scientists at MIT have developed a way to use a laser to beam an audible message through thin air to a person standing on the other side of a room, so that only they can hear it.

Harvard has reported a breakthrough artificial eye just 30 microns in depth which can exceed the capabilities of the human eye. The technology could make a real impact in all manner of optical fields, including those in cameras, telescopes, microscopes, glasses and even virtual reality.

Researchers have developed a new technique to make metamaterials with nanoscale structures that can be tuned with strange optical properties. Using DNA-modified gold nanoparticles, the team could change the material's color, opening the door for new sensors or cloaking devices.

Quantum encryption could make for much less hackable communication networks. But for it to really take off it needs to work out in the real world, among other signals and natural air turbulence. Now, researchers have successfully sent a message with 4D quantum encryption between two rooftops.

The “perfect” laser would emit light at one wavelength, but current technology can’t achieve that yet, shining across the spectrum in what scientists call “linewidth.” Now researchers have developed the world’s sharpest laser, with a linewidth of just 10 mHz (0.01 Hz).

Researchers at Stanford University have built some VR display prototypes that adapt to the eyes of each wearer, which could pave the way for more comfortable virtual experiences for everyone, regardless of age, eyesight or focusing problems.

​A cutting edge light retardant coating designed to reduce the interference to the delicate optical equipment mounted on space probes is being put through its paces aboard the Kent Ridge 1 satellite, which launched into low-Earth orbit (LEO) in Dec. 2015.

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a robotic hand with "eyes" built into its fingers, making it far more sensitive to position and force than conventional machine grippers.

Researchers at the University of Houston (UH) have created a polymer lens designed to fit on almost any smartphone and to magnify images up to 120 times their original size, all at an estimated production cost of just three cents per lens.

April 24 will mark a significant milestone in the life of one of mankind's greatest scientific instruments – the 25-year anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope. Join us as we celebrate the history and achievements of the telescope that inspired a generation.