Optical techniques are experimental and analytical methods that exploit the generation, manipulation, and detection of electromagnetic radiation in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared ranges to probe material properties, structures, and dynamics. They encompass approaches such as absorption, fluorescence, Raman and elastic scattering measurements, interferometry, and imaging modalities that rely on well-defined light–matter interactions. These techniques enable quantitative characterization of refractive indices, absorption coefficients, energy level structures, molecular conformations, and nanoscale morphology, often with high spatial and temporal resolution. Optical techniques are widely integrated with spectroscopy, microscopy, and metrology platforms and can be implemented in both far-field and near-field configurations.
Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes (GM-APDs) are highly sensitive light detectors, capable of detecting single photons. Photons of certain wavelengths, when absorbed by photodiodes, generate electron-hole pairs in a process ...
Optics & Photonics
Nov 4, 2025
0
45
Physicists at Umeå University, in collaboration with researchers in China, have developed a laser made entirely from biomaterials—birch leaves and peanut kernels. The environmentally friendly laser could become an inexpensive ...
Nanophysics
Nov 3, 2025
0
89
Researchers have developed a new technology that can shape the spectrum of light emitted from a laser frequency comb across the visible and near-infrared wavelengths with more precision than previously possible. This advance ...
Optics & Photonics
Oct 30, 2025
0
69
EPFL researchers have developed a method to calibrate electron spectrometers with extreme accuracy by linking microwave, optical, and free-electron frequencies.
Optics & Photonics
Oct 29, 2025
0
49
Researchers at University of Tsukuba have developed a technology for real-time estimation of the valence state and growth rate of iron oxide thin films during their formation. This novel technology was realized by analyzing ...
Condensed Matter
Oct 28, 2025
0
41
In a new milestone for space-enabled semiconductor research, the University of Florida, in collaboration with NASA, MIT, Vanguard Automation, AIM Photonics and Germany's Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, launched a suite ...
Space Exploration
Oct 28, 2025
0
36
Haozhe "Harry" Wang's electrical and computer engineering lab at Duke welcomed an unusual new lab member this fall: artificial intelligence. Using publicly available AI foundation models such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Meta's ...
Nanomaterials
Oct 27, 2025
0
45
If you think of a single atom as a grain of sand, then a wavelength of visible light—which is a thousand times larger than the atom's width—is comparable to an ocean wave. The light wave can dwarf an atom, missing it entirely ...
Optics & Photonics
Oct 22, 2025
0
41
A novel imaging technique used for the first time on a ground-based telescope has helped a UCLA-led team of astronomers to achieve the sharpest-ever measurement of a star's surrounding disk, revealing previously unseen structure.
Astronomy
Oct 22, 2025
1
105
The rapid and energy-efficient synthesis of high-performance catalysts is a critical hurdle in advancing clean energy technologies like hydrogen production. Addressing this challenge, a research team at KAIST has now developed ...
Nanomaterials
Oct 21, 2025
0
173
