Scientists in the quest for compact and robust sources of multicolored laser light have achieved a groundbreaking milestone by generating the first topological frequency comb. This innovative result, reliant on a small silicon nitride chip patterned with hundreds of microscopic rings, has been detailed in the journal Science. Traditionally, light from an ordinary laser emits … Read more
Many of today’s quantum devices rely on collections of qubits, also called spins. These quantum bits have only two energy levels, the “0” and the “1.” However, spins in real devices also interact with light and vibrations known as bosons, greatly complicating calculations. In a new publication in Physical Review Letters, researchers in Amsterdam demonstrate … Read more
Hvidovre Hospital has the world’s first prototype of a sensor capable of detecting errors in MRI scans using laser light and gas. The new sensor, developed by a young researcher at the University of Copenhagen and Hvidovre Hospital, can thereby do what is impossible for current electrical sensors—and hopefully pave the way for MRI scans … Read more
In the realm of quantum mechanics, proximity reigns supreme. The closer atoms are, the stronger their interactions become. This characteristic is crucial for various quantum phenomena, making it essential for scientists to arrange atoms in close proximity when designing quantum simulators. These simulators allow researchers to explore exotic states of matter and design novel quantum … Read more
Alzheimer’s disease causes significant problems with memory, thinking and behavior and is the most common form of dementia, affecting more than 50 million people around the world each year. This number is expected to triple by the year 2050. Using their own state-of-the art imaging technologies, scientists at the University of California San Diego have … Read more
While it may not look like it, the interstellar space between stars is far from empty. Atoms, ions, molecules, and more reside in this ethereal environment known as the Interstellar Medium (ISM). The ISM has fascinated scientists for decades, as at least 200 unique molecules form in its cold, low-pressure environment. It’s a subject that … Read more
In a new Nature study, Columbia Engineering researchers have built a photonic chip that is able to produce high-quality, ultra-low-noise microwave signals using only a single laser. The compact device—a chip so small, it could fit on a sharp pencil point—results in the lowest microwave noise ever observed in an integrated photonics platform. The achievement … Read more
Chip-based devices known as frequency combs, which measure the frequency of light waves with unparalleled precision, have revolutionized timekeeping, the detection of planets outside of our solar system and high-speed optical communication. Now, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and their collaborators have developed a new way of creating the combs … Read more
For more than a decade it has been possible for physicists to accurately measure the location of individual atoms to a precision smaller than one-thousandth of a millimeter using a special type of microscope. However, this method has so far only provided the x and y coordinates. Information on the vertical position of the atom … Read more
Researchers have developed a new way to control and manipulate optical signals by embedding a liquid crystal layer into waveguides created with direct laser writing. The new devices enable electro-optical control of polarization, which could open new possibilities for chip-based devices and complex photonic circuits based on femtosecond-written waveguides. “Laser writing of waveguides and electro-optical … Read more
Scientists are getting a more detailed look than ever before at the electrons they use in precision experiments. Nuclear physicists with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility have shattered a nearly 30-year-old record for the measurement of parallel spin within an electron beam—or electron beam polarimetry, for short. The achievement sets … Read more
The recent approval of a CRISPR-Cas9 therapy for sickle cell disease demonstrates that gene editing tools can do a superb job of knocking out genes to cure hereditary disease. But it’s still not possible to insert whole genes into the human genome to substitute for defective or deleterious genes. A new technique that employs a … Read more