Using an ultrafast technique, researchers shed light on how the hydrogen-bonded structure of water is reflected in its x-ray spectrum.
Category: futurism – Page 170
Stiffening a Spring Made of Light
Posted in futurism
Adding a nonlinear crystal to an optical spring can change the spring’s stiffness, a finding that could allow the use of such devices as gravitational-wave detectors.
A way to create single photons whose spatiotemporal shapes do not expand during propagation could limit information loss in future photonic quantum technologies.
When enjoying the sight of a rainbow, information loss might not be the first thing that comes to mind. Yet dispersion, the underlying process that makes different colors travel at different speeds, also hampers scientists’ control of light propagation—a crucial capability for future photonic quantum technologies. As they move, short laser pulses tend to lengthen through dispersion and widen and dim through diffraction. Together, these effects limit our ability to make light reach a target, although mitigation strategies have been developed for classical pulses and, recently, for quantum light. Now Jianmin Wang at the Southern University of Science and Technology in China and colleagues have realized a quantum source of single photons that are impervious to spreading out during propagation, potentially safeguarding against the loss of information encoded in the photons spatiotemporal shapes [1].
In 2007, physicists demonstrated light beams, known as Airy beams, whose spatial profiles make them resilient to spreading out [2, 3]. These profiles consist of a pattern of bright and dark lobes surrounding a central bright component, with each feature propagating along a parabolic trajectory. Recently, scientists created quantum Airy beams, which are technically challenging to realize [4, 5]. The goal of Wang and colleagues’ work was to extend this principle to the temporal domain, producing quantum Airy single photons that do not spread out in both space and time. Such quantum “light bullets” could offer exciting possibilities for quantum technologies, much like their classical counterparts did for applications in areas from plasma physics to optical trapping [3, 6].
In Earth science, small details can help explain massive events. Rita Parai, an assistant professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, uses precision equipment to measure trace levels of noble gases in rocks, samples that can provide key insights into planetary evolution.
Researchers developed a 60-milliwatt solid-state DUV laser at 193 nm using LBO crystals, setting new benchmarks in efficiency values.
In the realm of science and technology, harnessing coherent light sources in the deep ultraviolet (DUV) region holds immense significance across various applications such as lithography, defect inspection, metrology, and spectroscopy. Traditionally, high-power 193-nanometer (nm) lasers have been pivotal in lithography, forming an integral part of systems used for precise patterning. However, the coherence limitations associated with conventional ArF excimer lasers hinder their effectiveness in applications requiring high-resolution patterns, like interference lithography.
Hybrid ArF Excimer Laser Technology
A great many cosmic puzzles still remain unsolved. By embracing a broad and varied approach, particle physics heads toward a bright future.
The potential impacts of AI are so far-reaching, no one wants to be faced with the implications of failing to actively participate in molding its future development.
To see India’s future, go south
Posted in futurism
By Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a programmable metafluid with tunable springiness, optical properties, viscosity and even the ability to transition between a Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid.
People who want to see the total solar eclipse on April 8 may be blocked by cloudy skies if weather forecasts for America are accurate.