Tag Archives: Optics

Mirror Image Pinpoints a Nanoparticle’s Position

Posted on June 28, 2022 by rberkowitz

A scattered laser beam’s interaction with itself creates a motion-detection method precise enough to determine whether a trapped particle is in its ground state. Continue reading →

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Unpolarized Light Could Separate Chiral Molecules

Posted on May 4, 2022 by rberkowitz

Numerical simulations suggest that unpolarized light with a twisted phase could help sort left- and right-handed molecules into separate ring-shaped traps. Continue reading →

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Laser Breaks Liquid into Uniform Droplets

Posted on December 11, 2021 by rberkowitz

A laser beam hitting a column of liquid controls the droplet pinch-off at the bottom of the stream. Continue reading →

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Ricocheting Waves Pinpoint an Object’s Location

Posted on July 23, 2021 by rberkowitz

An echo chamber captures small-scale information about an object without the need for up-close probing. Read more in APS Physics…

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Optical Fiber Modes Resist Deformations

Posted on June 21, 2021 by rberkowitz

A machine-learning approach quickly characterizes an optical fiber, identifying transmission channels that aren’t affected by deformation. Continue reading →

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Light Pulses Change Speed in a Plasma

Posted on May 24, 2021 by rberkowitz

Interactions between two laser beams in a plasma allow for precise
control over the light’s velocity. Continue reading →

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A tabletop waveguide delivers coherent x rays

Posted on April 1, 2021 by rberkowitz

The layered anode emits bright, directed beams without the need for mirrors or large-scale accelerators. Continue reading →

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Femtosecond Probe Catches Electrons Relaxing

Posted on February 11, 2021 by rberkowitz

Pump-probe experiments measure the time it takes for electrons to thermalize and cool after photoexcitation. Continue reading →

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Pulses of Light Accelerate in Free Space

Posted on December 6, 2020 by rberkowitz

A recipe for greatly accelerating a light pulse involves sculpting its
spectrum in space and time. Continue reading →

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Real-Time Measurements of Earth’s Spin and Tilt

Posted on July 17, 2020 by rberkowitz

An array of ring lasers provides the first continuous measurement of Earth’s motion from a single location.  Continue reading →

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