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. How could we noninvasively distinguish between healthy and cancerous tissue? And how could we increase the speed of wireless communications? These two seemingly unrelated questions may share the same answer: terahertz (THz) light. Spanning frequencies between 0.3 and 20 THz, THz light interacts with matter without causing damage and allows for faster data transfer than radio waves. It is thus ideal for advancing many applications in biomedicine and telecommunications, for which simple yet sensitive and fast detectors are needed. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-graphene-plasmon-cavities-enable-advanced.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:20:03 EDT news701446621 Researchers at European XFEL, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Rostock University and other collaborating institutions have used high-precision experiments to demonstrate that the most widely used models for the behavior of electrons in warm dense matter are inaccurate. Warm dense matter is challenging to study, but also is of key importance for a plethora of research, including the investigation of planetary interiors, materials science and laser fusion experiments. The study is published in Physical Review Letters. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-upends-beliefs-electrons-dense.html Plasma Physics Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:20:06 EDT news701359922 How does light turn into motion within a metal? A team of researchers from European XFEL, the University of Potsdam and other participating institutions has shown that ultrashort optical laser pulses can trigger extremely rapid lattice vibrations in periodically layered metal structures—not primarily by heating the atomic lattice, but through the pressure exerted by hot electrons. The results are published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-laser-pulses-layered-metals-vibrating.html Condensed Matter Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:10:03 EDT news701018641 Aeron Tynes Hammack, a physicist by training and currently interim facility director of the Nanofabrication Facility at the Molecular Foundry, likes to work with nanoscale objects to better understand the world and solve problems—but he doesn't restrict himself to one category of tiny stuff. He helps develop qubits for quantum computers and viral therapies to combat infectious diseases. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-qa-combating-antibiotic-resistance-nanotechnology.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 09 Jun 2026 18:20:06 EDT news700241042 The terahertz (THz) frequency regime, sitting between microwaves and infrared light, has long promised revolutionary advances in wireless communication, security imaging and nondestructive sensing. A key roadblock, however, has been the lack of compact, dynamically tunable components capable of manipulating THz beams on demand. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-dynamic-terahertz-wavefront-stretchable-walled.html Nanophysics Sun, 07 Jun 2026 15:40:02 EDT news699874604 Food waste is a nagging problem that weighs heavily on global food production, distribution and sales industries—but an emerging generation of AI sensors is providing a raft of fresh solutions. The embrace of AI in food industries has been swift, which is why Flinders University researchers have worked with an international research team to build the first comprehensive overview of AI technologies involved in the food industry. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-food-industries-embrace-ai-sensors.html Biotechnology Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:00:08 EDT news699699989 Physicists from Emory University have led work to develop a microscopic, nonlinear light source that can be switched on, off or tuned to a particular intensity by an electrical "knob." The paper is published in the journal Optica, and could aid in the design of smaller, more flexible technologies for communications, sensing and quantum computing. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-electrical-knob-tune-intensity-nanoscale.html Optics & Photonics Thu, 28 May 2026 17:50:01 EDT news699207961 Gold nanoparticles, which are about one-thousandth the width of a human hair, can convert light they receive from a laser into heat. This capacity, known in medicine as photothermal therapy, is effective at destroying cancer cells without harming the surrounding healthy tissue. It's one of the techniques the scientific community is exploring in depth as an alternative chemotherapy, as it is less aggressive. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-shell-gold-nanoparticles-laser-longer.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 19 May 2026 15:00:08 EDT news698415541 A team of scientists from Skoltech and MIPT has investigated how the Casimir effect can be used to precisely control the angular orientation of nanostructures. The results of the study have been published in the journal Physical Review A . https://phys.org/news/2026-05-casimir-anisotropic-path-tuning-nanophotonic.html Nanophysics Wed, 06 May 2026 15:20:26 EDT news697298401 To capture a crisp image of a hummingbird in flight, which can flap its wings up to 200 times per second, a photographer needs a camera with an extremely fast shutter speed. But what if your target is smaller than a single chromosome and can travel at velocities approaching lightspeed? Conventional cameras, no matter how advanced, are limited by the nature of light. You would need a special device and an innovative method to film such a tiny, speedy subject. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-chemists-capture-hybrid-particles-distances.html Nanophysics Mon, 04 May 2026 15:40:09 EDT news697119482 Conventional spontaneous Raman spectroscopy of interfacial molecules typically requires plasmonic or electronic enhancement, limiting accessible systems. A nonlinear coherent Raman method now enables direct, high sensitivity detection without such requirements. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-optical-raman-ngstrm-scale-ultrathin.html Nanomaterials Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:40:05 EDT news696785462 Researchers at Skoltech have developed an ultra-compact electro-optic modulator based on silicon photonics and plasmonics that enables high-efficiency optical signal control within a small device footprint. The development could find applications in optical communication systems, analog-to-digital conversion, as well as in devices for generating and processing ultra-high-frequency signals based on photonic technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-team-modulator-compact-photonic-circuits.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 28 Apr 2026 19:20:03 EDT news696611379 Today, I want to walk you through a deceptively simple innovation from the lab at Loughborough University (PI: Prof Marco Peccianti): what happens when we decorate a spintronic heterostructure with a sparse layer of plasmonic nanoparticles? This isn't just a lab curiosity—it's a step toward making terahertz sources more efficient, compact, and practical for real-world applications like high-speed communications, noninvasive imaging, and advanced spectroscopy. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-sprinkling-nanoparticles-spintronics.html Condensed Matter Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:00:06 EDT news695895133 Light, as we usually conceive of it, is defined by the astonishing velocity at which it moves from one point to another. For example, in just one second, light can travel most of the distance between Earth and the moon. This property is what makes light useful for communication, which we expect to happen at lightning speed in the modern age. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-gold-nanorod-struck-center-electron.html Nanophysics Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:40:01 EDT news695289305 Tiny robots—around 50 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair—open up fascinating possibilities: they enable the controlled manipulation of objects far too small for human hands. This brings us closer to a long-standing dream—the direct interaction with the microscopic world. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nanoscale-robotic-cleaner-capture-bacteria.html Bio & Medicine Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:00:02 EDT news694867949 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 Recent advancements in nanophotonics are moving beyond isotropic noble metals to achieve dynamic and directional control over plasmons. Conventional localized surface plasmon resonances (LSPR) are limited by their isotropic permittivity and geometry-dependent resonance tuning. Introducing strong material anisotropy offers an effective alternative strategy, providing an additional degree of freedom for controlling plasmon propagation and confinement. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-anisotropic-2d-crystal-hyperbolic-localized.html Nanophysics Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:00:06 EDT news694194841 Argonne and Northwestern University scientists teamed up to understand how light interacts with metallic nanoframes, with implications for biosensing, quantum information science and beyond. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-ultrafast-microscopy-metallic-nanoframe-behavior.html Nanophysics Fri, 27 Mar 2026 17:50:01 EDT news693831240 Just as an antenna interacts with radio waves, light interacts with metallic nanostructures. Therefore, understanding how a structure influences field oscillations provides valuable insights into the structure's physical properties. An international research team, including scientists from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL), is investigating the changes in field oscillations that occur when light interacts with indium tin oxide (ITO) nanocrystals. This will deepen our understanding of how the interaction between light and these nanocrystals depends on time. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-fieldoscopy-reveals-femtosecond-optical-nm.html Nanophysics Thu, 26 Mar 2026 22:20:01 EDT news693760638 Scientists have created the first microlasers capable of detecting individual molecules and even single atomic ions, a breakthrough that could significantly advance early disease diagnosis and molecular-scale medical testing. Researchers at the University of Exeter's Living Systems Institute have published their work in Nature Photonics. The paper opens up new possibilities for microlaser biosensing technology, including "lab-on-a-chip" technology capable of instant medical testing and diagnosis. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-microlasers-capable-individual-molecules-ions.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 25 Mar 2026 06:00:05 EDT news693565580 Diagnosing some diseases could be as easy as breathing into a tube. MIT engineers have developed a test to detect disease-related compounds in a patient's breath. The new test could provide a faster way to diagnose pneumonia and other lung conditions. Rather than sit for a chest X-ray or wait hours for a lab result, a patient may one day take a breath test and get a diagnosis within minutes. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-nanoparticles-enable-minute-pneumonia.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 16 Mar 2026 17:00:03 EDT news692889541 A research team at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has developed new laser technology that could lead to tiny, cost-effective biosensors. The sensors integrate lasers and optics together on a centimeter-sized chip, which could move testing from hospitals to patients' homes. This, in turn, would free up hospital beds and reduce visits to clinics. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-miniature-laser-technology-lab-home.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 10 Mar 2026 09:40:05 EDT news692350801 Researchers have found a way to use solar energy to power a key chemical reaction that drives many manufacturing industries. This new method can significantly reduce the energy required to run these operations, eliminate harsh oxidizing byproducts and minimize carbon emissions. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-carbon-footprint-chemical-lasers-solar.html Materials Science Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:00:01 EST news691946389 Adjusting the size and chemistry of nanocrystals within an ultrathin surface can speed up light-driven chemical reactions, according to a University of Michigan Engineering study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. The new method works by matching the crystals' electronic rhythm to the internal vibrations of target molecules. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-tuned-nanocrystals-driven-reactions-molecular.html Nanophysics Tue, 17 Feb 2026 11:46:49 EST news690551162 You can tell a lot about a material based on the type of light shining at it: Optical light illuminates a material's surface, while X-rays reveal its internal structures and infrared captures a material's radiating heat. Now, MIT physicists have used terahertz light to reveal inherent, quantum vibrations in a superconducting material, which have not been observable until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-terahertz-microscope-reveals-motion-superconducting.html Optics & Photonics Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:00:06 EST news689415002 Researchers at the Institute for Molecular Science (NINS, Japan) and SOKENDAI have demonstrated a more than 2000% voltage-induced enhancement of near-field nonlinear optical responses. To achieve this giant modulation, they focused on an angstrom-scale gap formed between a metallic tip and substrate in a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), which can strongly confine and enhance light intensity through plasmon excitation. The paper is published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-angstrom-scale-plasmonic-gap-boosts.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 03 Feb 2026 04:18:21 EST news689314627 By changing the physical structure of gold at the nanoscale, researchers can drastically change how the material interacts with light—and, as a result, its electronic and optical properties. This is shown by a study from Umeå University published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-reshaping-gold-electronic-optical-properties.html Nanophysics Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:46:38 EST news689265961 Researchers have developed a new strategy to overcome a long-standing limitation in plasmonic loss by reshaping light–matter interactions through substrate engineering. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-spectral-slimming-yields-ultranarrow-plasmons.html Optics & Photonics Tue, 27 Jan 2026 14:28:26 EST news688746481 Sunbeams contain a lot of energy. But current technology for harvesting solar power doesn't capture as much as it could. Now, in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, researchers report that gold nanospheres, named supraballs, can absorb nearly all wavelengths in sunlight—including some that traditional photovoltaic materials miss. Applying a layer of supraballs onto a commercially available electricity converter demonstrated that the technology nearly doubled solar energy absorption compared to traditional materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-gold-supraballs-solar-energy-absorption.html Nanomaterials Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:47:20 EST news688740421 A nanostructure made of silver and an atomically thin semiconductor layer can be turned into an ultrafast switching mirror device that may function as an optical transistor—with a switching speed around 10,000 times faster than an electronic transistor. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ultrafast-atomically-thin-semiconductors-rapid.html Nanophysics Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:35:57 EST news688228502