New directed energy propulsion systems may enable the first interstellar missions, with small, robotic spacecraft exploring neighboring solar systems, according to experimental cosmologist Philip Lubin. He will present these and other advances at The Optical Society’s (OSA) Laser Congress, Light the Future Speaker Series, 4-8 Nov. in Boston. Imagine a wafer-thin spacecraft powered by laser light capable…
Optical Pressure Detector Could Improve Robot Skin, Wearables And Touch Screens
A new type of pressure sensor based on light could allow the creation of sensitive artificial skins to give robots a better sense of touch, wearable blood-pressure monitors for humans and optically transparent touch screens and devices. In the Optical Society (OSA) journal Optics Letters, researchers report on a sensor that detects pressure by analyzing changes…
Analysis Tool Could Bolster Development Of Efficient Engines And Fuel
A newly developed analysis method can detect hydroxyl radicals (OH) with unprecedented sensitivity. Because OH is a critical component in the combustion processes that power most vehicles, the new approach could advance the development of novel types of engines and fuels that would be more efficient and environmentally friendly. “In the U.S., combustion produces 60…
Laser-Based System Offers Continuous Monitoring Of Leaks From Oil And Gas Operations
Researchers have conducted the first field tests for a new laser-based system that can pinpoint the location of very small methane leaks over an area of several square miles. The new technology could one day be used to continuously monitor for costly and dangerous methane leaks at oil and gas production sites. As a primary…
Powerful New Tool For Looking For Life Beyond Earth
NASA has developed an innovative new spectroscopy instrument to aid the search for extraterrestrial life. The new instrument is designed to detect compounds and minerals associated with biological activity more quickly and with greater sensitivity than previous instruments. Although no evidence of life outside of Earth has yet been found, looking for evidence of present…
Metal-Silicone Microstructures Could Enable New Flexible Optical And Electrical Devices
For the first time, researchers have used a single-step, laser-based method to produce small, precise hybrid microstructures of silver and flexible silicone. This innovative laser processing technology could one day enable smart factories that use one production line to mass-produce customized devices combining soft materials such as engineered tissue with hard materials that add functions…
Observation of Twisted Optical Beam Traveling Slower Than Speed of Light
Researchers at the University of Ottawa observed that twisted light in a vacuum travels slower than the universal physical constant established as the speed of light by Einstein’s theory of relativity. Twisted light, which turns around its axis of travel much like a corkscrew, holds great potential for storing information for quantum computing and communications…
Shrinking 3D Tech for Comfortable Smart Phone Viewing
Imagine watching a 3D movie on your smart phone and suddenly getting a headache or even feeling nauseous. Such viewer discomfort is one of the biggest obstacles preventing widespread application of 3D display technology – especially for portable devices whose slim design poses an extra challenge. Now researchers at the Sun Yan-Sen University, China have…