Optics and Photonics News

3 days ago | optica-opn.org | Edwin Cartlidge

Researchers in the United States have built a compact source of single photons at telecom wavelengths that might in future be used to make the nodes in a quantum network (Opt. Quantum, doi: 10.1364/OPTICAQ.546774). By generating each photon alongside a visible counterpart, the device allows heralding via fairly compact detectors and could potentially hook up diverse quantum computers over long distances.

1 week ago | optica-opn.org | Meeri Kim

The extent of sea ice that forms, expands and melts in the ocean is a key indicator of climate change. In recent years, ice cover has decreased dramatically, with predictions suggesting an ice-free Arctic Ocean in summer within the next few decades. The consequences of this steep decline are wide-ranging, such as less sunlight reflected back into space and disruption of ocean currents.

1 week ago | optica-opn.org | Patricia Daukantas

Variable focus lenses allow beam profiles in imaging systems to be varied without replacing the lens or other components. Liquid lenses, often using water, offer many possibilities for such tunable lens systems. However, mechanically adjusted liquid lenses consume a lot of power and wear out quickly, and many nonmechanical approaches, like microfluidic systems, are complex and costly.

2 weeks ago | optica-opn.org | Bibiana Campos Seijo

Start-up nEye Systems has secured $58 million in Series B financing round led by CapitalG, Alphabet’s independent growth fund, with support from Microsoft’s M12, Micron Ventures, Nvidia and Socratic Partners. The fresh capital will fund commercialization of an optical switch specially designed for bandwidth‑hungry artificial‑intelligence data centres. The investment brings nEye’s total to $72.5 million and it means that the firm will ship samples of its first chip in 2026.

2 weeks ago | optica-opn.org | Edwin Cartlidge

Scientists in the United States have shown how a coronagraph using what is known as spatial mode sorting could be used to image extrasolar planets at quantum limits (Optica, doi: 10.1364/OPTICA.545414). They say that their scheme should make it easier to study very faint exoplanets, including those similar to Earth. Researchers to date have discovered nearly 6,000 planets orbiting stars other than our sun.