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.
Researchers at Michigan State University have figured out how to use a fast laser to wiggle atoms in a way that temporarily changes the behavior of their host material. Their novel approach could lead to smaller and more ...
Nanophysics
Sep 16, 2025
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43
Cornell Engineering researchers have demonstrated that, by zapping a synthetic thin film with ultrafast pulses of low-frequency infrared light, they can cause its lattice to atomically expand and contract billions of times ...
Condensed Matter
Sep 15, 2025
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57
Bats are nocturnal hunters and use echolocation to orient themselves by emitting high-frequency ultrasonic sounds in rapid succession and evaluating the calls' reflections. Yet, they have retained a functional vision for ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 9, 2025
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35
About 80% of the universe's mass is thought to consist of dark matter. Yet, little is known about the composition and structure of the particles that make up dark matter, presenting physicists with some fundamental questions. ...
Astronomy
Sep 9, 2025
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65
Using optical tweezers, researchers at National Taiwan University have observed individual binding events in real time, offering new insights into the molecular regulation of homologous recombination.
Biotechnology
Sep 8, 2025
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21
A research team has developed a direct optical lithography (DOL) technology that patterns quantum dots (QDs) at ultra-high resolution using only light, without photoresist. Through this, they also provided guidelines for ...
Nanophysics
Sep 8, 2025
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123
Nanoparticles are everywhere. Nanoparticles find a wide range of applications in biomedical applications, sensing, energy conversion, and industrial processes. But nanoparticles can also have negative implications as environmental ...
Nanophysics
Sep 2, 2025
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33
New research from the University of St Andrews paves the way for holographic technology, with the potential to transform smart devices, communication, gaming and entertainment.
Condensed Matter
Aug 29, 2025
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398
Lipids are difficult to detect with light microscopy. Using a new chemical labeling strategy, a Dresden-based team led by André Nadler at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) and Alf Honigmann ...
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 29, 2025
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29
Optical microscopy is a key technique for understanding dynamic biological processes in cells, but observing these high-speed cellular dynamics accurately, at high spatial resolution, has long been a formidable task.
Optics & Photonics
Aug 23, 2025
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