Researchers have developed a set of diode-based lidar instruments that could help fill important gaps in meteorological observations and fuel a leap in understanding, modeling and predicting weather and climate. The instruments are particularly well suited for insights on atmospheric dynamics at the mesoscale, a size range equivalent to the area of a small city…
New All-Fiber Device Simplifies Free-Space Based Quantum Key Distribution
Researchers have developed a simple and stable device to generate the quantum states necessary for quantum key distribution. The device could make it more practical to develop a global data network that uses this very secure method of encryption to protect everything from credit card transactions to texts. New encryption techniques are needed because computers…
Researchers Use LiDAR To Locate Invasive Fish And Preserve A National Treasure
For decades the National Park Service has been locked in a battle against lake trout, an invasive fish with a voracious appetite that has overtaken Yellowstone Lake and upended its formerly thriving ecosystem. According to new research, an aircraft-mounted instrument could offer a faster way to locate and capture the non-native fish during the brief…
Increasing The Sensitivity Of Next-Generation Gravitational Wave Detectors
Nearly one year ago today, the LIGO Collaboration announced the detection of gravitational waves, once again confirming Einstein’s theory of General Relativity. This important discovery by the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (aLIGO) has spurred great interest in improving these advanced optical detectors. The mission of gravitational wave scientists worldwide is to make gravitational wave…
Team Builds First Quantum Cascade Laser on Silicon
A team of researchers from across the country, led by Alexander Spott, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA, have built the first quantum cascade laser on silicon. The advance may have applications that span from chemical bond spectroscopy and gas sensing, to astronomy and free-space communications. Integrating lasers directly on silicon chips is challenging, but it…
Mirror-Like Display Creates Rich Color Pixels by Harnessing Ambient Light
Using a simple structure comprising a mirror and an absorbing layer to take advantage of the wave properties of light, researchers at Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, have developed a display technology that harnesses natural ambient light to produce an unprecedented range of colors and superior viewing experience. An article describing…
Chameleon-like Artificial ‘Skin’ Shifts Color on Demand
Borrowing a trick from nature, engineers from the University of California at Berkeley have created an incredibly thin, chameleon-like material that can be made to change color — on demand — by simply applying a minute amount of force. This new material-of-many-colors offers intriguing possibilities for an entirely new class of display technologies, color-shifting camouflage,…