https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Light typically interacts with a material the same way whether it enters through the front or the back—like polarized sunglasses that work the same from either side. Cornell researchers have demonstrated a simple route to breaking that symmetry, opening new possibilities for photonics and quantum information processing. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-simple-semiconductor-front-symmetry.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 27 Jul 2026 16:20:05 EDT news704381282 Can technology really replace human relationships? As philosophy scholars who focus on human happiness and on artificial intelligence (AI), we tackle this question in a recent paper. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-people-holograms-friends-chatbots-ai.html Social Sciences Thu, 18 Jun 2026 13:40:02 EDT news701007661 The task of gently transporting a microscopic particle from one point to another along a winding path, and then bringing it back using nothing more than a single, compact chip is a challenge we set out to address in our new study, now published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-optical-metaconveyors-enable-programmable-nanomanipulation.html Nanophysics Wed, 13 May 2026 18:00:02 EDT news697800686 A new type of hologram technology has been developed that uses the motion of light as a key, revealing information only under specific conditions. This is gaining attention as a novel approach that can simultaneously overcome the limitations of existing optical communication and security technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-hologram-technology-key-enables-hard.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 06 May 2026 09:20:01 EDT news697276861 Light can carry angular momentum in two distinct ways. One comes from polarization, which describes how the electric field rotates. The other comes from the shape of the wavefront itself, which can twist like a corkscrew as it travels. This second form, known as orbital angular momentum, has attracted wide interest because it allows light to encode information, interact with matter in new ways, and probe physical and biological systems. Despite this promise, producing well-defined twisted light in free space remains technically challenging, especially when the light originates from small or localized sources. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-chiral-metasurfaces-free-space.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:10:08 EDT news694195502 Researchers from the University of Tartu Institute of Physics have developed a novel method for enhancing the quality of three-dimensional images by increasing the depth of focus in holograms fivefold after recording, using computational imaging techniques. The technology enables improved performance of 3D holographic microscopy under challenging imaging conditions and facilitates the study of complex biological structures. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-hologram-method-boosts-3d-image.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:52:27 EST news690213122 Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have optimized and 3D-printed helix structures as optical materials for terahertz (THz) frequencies, a potential way to address a technology gap for next-generation telecommunications, non-destructive evaluation, chemical/biological sensing and more. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-3d-helixes-thz-optical-materials.html Condensed Matter Mon, 15 Dec 2025 14:10:33 EST news685030196 Stanford engineers debuted a new framework introducing computational tools and self-reflective AI assistants, potentially advancing fields like optical computing and astronomy. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-agentic-ai-platform-advanced-optics.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 15 Dec 2025 10:40:01 EST news685016703 Using sound to get objects to float works well if a single particle is levitated, but it causes multiple particles to collapse into a clump in mid-air. Physicists at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) have now found a way to keep them apart using charge. Their findings, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could find applications in materials science, robotics, and microengineering. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-physicists-fundamental-limitation-acoustic-levitation.html General Physics Tue, 02 Dec 2025 11:18:23 EST news683896681 Spin glasses are physical systems in which the small magnetic moments of particles (i.e., spins) interact with each other in a random way. These random interactions between spins make it impossible for all spins to satisfy their preferred alignments; a condition known as 'frustration." https://phys.org/news/2025-10-driven-dissipative-ising-glass-cavity.html Quantum Physics Fri, 31 Oct 2025 08:00:01 EDT news681061214 This week, researchers reported on a new biopsy tool that can detect HPV-associated head and neck cancer up to 10 years before symptoms appear. Researchers developed a process to transform two-dimensional paintings into full-color, three-dimensional holograms, providing a new way to experience art in a gallery setting. And Chinese scientists designed a physical cassette capable of storing massive amounts of data encoded as DNA on a polyester-nylon tape substrate. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-saturday-citations-mechanism-liver-failure.html Other Sat, 13 Sep 2025 09:00:01 EDT news676897168 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. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-optoelectronics-holograms-smartphone-closer-everyday.html Condensed Matter Fri, 29 Aug 2025 12:40:03 EDT news675688168 The simulation of quantum systems and the development of systems that can perform computations leveraging quantum mechanical effects rely on the ability to arrange atoms in specific patterns with high levels of precision. To arrange atoms in ordered patterns known as arrays, physicists typically use optical tweezers, highly focused laser beams that can trap particles. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-ai-technique-defect-free-arrays.html Quantum Physics Mon, 25 Aug 2025 12:56:49 EDT news675345403 Holography—the science of recording and reconstructing light fields—has long been central to imaging, data storage, and encryption. Traditional holographic systems, however, rely on bulky optical setups and interference experiments, making them impractical for compact or integrated devices. Computational methods such as the Gerchberg–Saxton (GS) algorithm have simplified hologram design by eliminating the need for physical interference patterns, but these approaches typically produce scalar holograms with uniform polarization, limiting the amount of information that can be encoded. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-ultrathin-metasurface-enables-high-efficiency.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 21 Aug 2025 12:53:07 EDT news674999577 Using 3D holograms polished by artificial intelligence, researchers introduce a lean, eyeglass-like 3D headset that they say is a significant step toward passing the "Visual Turing Test." https://phys.org/news/2025-07-3d-headset-holograms-ai-lifelike.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 28 Jul 2025 10:44:08 EDT news672918242 A team of NYU chemists and physicists are using cutting-edge tools—holographic microscopy and super-resolution imaging—to unlock how cells build and grow tiny, dynamic droplets known as biomolecular condensates. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-holographic-precision-super-resolution-vision.html Biochemistry Wed, 16 Jul 2025 13:20:03 EDT news671890677 Physicists at ETH Zurich have developed a lens that can transform infrared light into visible light by halving the wavelength of incident light. The study is published in Advanced Materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-ultra-thin-lenses-halve-incident.html Optics & Photonics Mon, 02 Jun 2025 10:20:33 EDT news668078429 By carefully placing nanostructures on a flat surface, researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have significantly improved the performance of so-called optical metasurfaces in conductive plastics. This is a major step for controllable flat optics, with future applications such as video holograms, invisibility materials, and sensors, as well as in biomedical imaging. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-flat-optical-metasurfaces-plastics-boost.html Nanophysics Wed, 21 May 2025 12:41:03 EDT news667050061 A new camera setup can record three-dimensional movies with a single pixel. Moreover, the technique can obtain images outside the visible spectrum and even through tissues. The Kobe University development thus opens the door to holographic video microscopy. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-pixel-camera-holographic-movies.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 21 May 2025 10:25:03 EDT news667041902 Quantum entanglement is a fundamental phenomenon in nature and one of the most intriguing aspects of quantum mechanics. It describes a correlation between two particles, such that measuring the properties of one instantly reveals those of the other, no matter how far apart they are. This unique property has been harnessed in applications such as quantum computing and quantum communication. https://phys.org/news/2025-03-quantum-holograms-metasurfaces-entangle.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 12 Mar 2025 16:52:09 EDT news661017124 Geddy has lived a big life for a little dog. As a puppy, the tiny terrier mix was abandoned in Mississippi during a high-speed car chase. Rescued by law enforcement, she found a loving home in Pennsylvania. Life was good—until last summer. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-tiny-dog-outsized-contribution-brain.html Veterinary medicine Thu, 27 Feb 2025 08:49:02 EST news659868537 A research team at POSTECH has developed a novel multidimensional sampling theory to overcome the limitations of flat optics. Their study not only identifies the constraints of conventional sampling theories in metasurface design but also presents an innovative anti-aliasing strategy that significantly enhances optical performance. Their findings were published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-multidimensional-sampling-theory-noise-flat.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 04 Feb 2025 13:05:03 EST news657896701 In today's world, the fight against counterfeiting is more critical than ever. Counterfeiting affects about 3% of global trade, posing significant risks to the economy and public safety. From fake pharmaceuticals to counterfeit currency, the need for secure and reliable authentication methods is paramount. Authentication labels are commonly used—such as holograms on bank notes and passports—but there is always a need for new unfalsifiable technologies. https://phys.org/news/2024-12-scientists-exploit-photo-chirality-thin.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 04 Dec 2024 15:35:04 EST news652548901 A study by researchers from the Institute of Applied Physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, published in Nature Photonics, presents a new method for non-invasive high-resolution imaging through highly scattering media. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-image-holographic-wavefront-fast-versatile.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 18 Oct 2024 05:00:01 EDT news648399213 Metasurface technology is an advanced optical technology that is thinner, lighter, and more capable of precisely controlling light through nanometer-sized artificial structures than conventional technologies. KAIST researchers have overcome the limitations of existing metasurface technologies and successfully designed a Janus metasurface capable of perfectly controlling asymmetric light transmission. By applying this technology, they have also proposed an innovative method to significantly enhance security by only decoding information under specific conditions. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-janus-metasurface-technology-optical-responses.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 15 Oct 2024 16:34:17 EDT news648228853 Gravity is no longer a mystery to physicists—at least when it comes to large distances. Thanks to science, we can calculate the orbits of planets, predict tides, and send rockets into space with precision. However, the theoretical description of gravity reaches its limits at the level of the smallest particles, the so-called quantum level. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-theoretical-physicists-method-central-theory.html General Physics Mon, 16 Sep 2024 09:15:04 EDT news645696902 Researchers have developed a new smartphone-based digital holographic microscope that enables precision 3D measurements. The highly portable and inexpensive microscope could help bring 3D measurement capabilities to a broader range of applications, including educational uses and point-of-care diagnostics in resource-limited settings. https://phys.org/news/2024-09-smartphone-based-microscope-rapidly-reconstructs.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 11 Sep 2024 17:19:03 EDT news645293941 Researchers with the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC) have experimentally demonstrated that metasurfaces (two-dimensional materials structured at the nanoscale) can precisely control the optical properties of thermal radiation generated within the metasurface itself. This pioneering work, published in Nature Nanotechnology, paves the way for creating custom light sources with unprecedented capabilities, impacting a wide array of scientific and technological applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-08-metasurfaces-thermal-unprecedented-ways.html Nanophysics Fri, 23 Aug 2024 05:00:01 EDT news643559341 Researchers at TMOS, the ARC Center of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems, have taken an important first step in the development of metasurface-enabled tractor beams—rays of light that can pull particles toward it, a concept that fictional tractor beams featured in science fiction are based on. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-tractor-technology-day-minimize-biopsy.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 19 Jul 2024 10:27:29 EDT news640603643 A research team has developed a metamaterial capable of detecting the polarization and direction of light through 3D aerosol nanoprinting. Their study was featured in ACS Nano. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-team-3d-aerosol-nanoprinting-metamaterial.html Nanomaterials Fri, 21 Jun 2024 09:39:03 EDT news638181541