Optics news from across the web

(American Chemical Society) Fifty years after the first laser sparked a technological revolution, the "light fantastic" continues to impact people's daily lives -- by playing DVDs, speeding Internet connections, and performing intricate surgery. As the golden anniversary of the announcement of the first laser approaches on July 7th, Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine, takes a special look at the past, present, and exciting future of this amazing invention.(author unknown)

(Optical Society of America) In the future, getting a broadband connection might be as simple as flipping on a light switch. In fact, according to a group of researchers from Germany presenting at OFC/NFOEC 2010 later this month, the light coming from the lamps in your home could one day encode a wireless broadband signal.(author unknown)

(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the issues associated with quantum information schemes revolves around the ability to develop quantum memories that allow for the retrieval of information on demand. Overcoming this issue is especially important for the advancement of long distance telecommunications. In order to use quantum means to send information over long distance, it is necessary to implement quantum repeaters so that data is not destroyed due to the absorption loss in optical fibers.(author unknown)

(University of Pittsburgh) University of Pittsburgh researchers have conducted the first cradle-to-grave assessment of light-emitting diode streetlights and determined that the increasingly popular lamps strike the best balance between brightness, affordability, and energy and environmental conservation when their life span -- from production to disposal -- is considered. LEDs consist of clusters of tiny, high-intensity bulbs and are extolled for their power efficiency and clear luminosity.(author unknown)

(American Physical Society) New experiments show that it's possible to focus light through opaque materials and detect objects hidden behind them, provided you know enough about the material.(author unknown)

Specially designed molecules could lead to all-optical data switches that could make the Internet far faster.

New molecules produced at Georgia Tech could enable engineers to build all-optical data routers, ultimately leading to transmission speeds as high as two terabits--or 2,000 gigabits--per second. Today's fastest commercial routers switch data at 40 gigabits per second.

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Berkeley Lab researchers have found a better way to trap light in photovoltaic cells through the use of vertical arrays of silicon nanowires. This could substantially cut the costs of solar electric power by reducing the quantity and quality of silicon needed for efficient solar panels.lcyarris

(American Chemical Society) Far from being a food spoiler, the fluorescent lighting in supermarkets actually can boost the nutritional value of fresh spinach, scientists are reporting. The finding could lead to improved ways of preserving and enhancing the nutritional value of spinach and perhaps other veggies, they suggest in a study in ACS' bi-weekly Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.(author unknown)

A new device invented by engineers at UC Davis could make it much faster to convert pulses of light into electronic signals and back again. The technology could be applied to ultrafast, high-capacity communications, imaging of the Earth's surface and for encrypting secure messages.(author unknown)15492825486455445883

(PhysOrg.com) -- In a new demonstration of reversible light storage, physicists have achieved storage efficiencies of more than a magnitude greater than those offered by previous techniques. The new method could be useful for designing quantum repeaters, which are necessary for achieving long-distance quantum communication.(author unknown)15492825486455445883

Physicists have applied the same laser techniques commonly used for tattoo removal to clean several famous works of art.(author unknown)122056898809222648621671357114138316643407180297575475698830

The flexible composite requires far less silicon than today's solar cells.

A new photovoltaic material performs as well as the one found in today's best solar cells, but promises to be significantly cheaper. The material, created by researchers at Caltech, consists of a flexible array of light-absorbing silicon microwires and light-reflecting metal nanoparticles embedded in a polymer.

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In a technological advance that its developers are likening to the cell phone and wireless Internet access, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) scientists and engineers have devised an undersea optical communications system that—complemented by acoustics—enables a virtual revolution in high-speed undersea data collection and transmission.

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A novel optical device could ultimately be used to treat neurological disease.

Researchers at Medtronic are developing a prototype neural implant that uses light to alter the behavior of neurons in the brain. The device is based on the emerging science of optogenetic neuromodulation, in which specific brain cells are genetically engineered to respond to light. Medtronic, the world's largest manufacturer of biomedical technologies, aims to use the device to better understand how electrical therapies, currently used to treat Parkinson's and other disorders, assuage symptoms of these diseases. Medtronic scientists say they will use the findings to improve the electrical stimulators the company already sells, but others ultimately hope to use optical therapies directly as treatments.

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(American Chemical Society) A laser technique best known for its use to remove unwanted tattoos from the skin is finding a second life in preserving great sculptures, paintings and other works of art, according to an article in ACS' monthly journal, Accounts of Chemical Research. The technique, called laser ablation, involves removing material from a solid surface by vaporizing the material with a laser beam.(author unknown)

(PhysOrg.com) -- Life would sometimes be so much easier if we were quantum particles. For example, if we were trying to find our way out of a strange town allowing chance telling us which way to go at every intersection. As objects of classical physics, this would mean becoming more and more lost in the centre of the road network. If we were particles that obeyed the laws of quantum mechanics, we would sooner or later find our way to the edge of town on the randomly-chosen route.(author unknown)

A European research project has shown how to build optical sensors directly into the structure of labs-on-chips. The breakthrough paves the way for on-the-spot medical diagnostics.(author unknown)

(Georgia Institute of Technology Research News) A class of molecules whose size, structure and chemical composition have been optimized for photonic use could provide the demanding combination of properties needed to serve as the foundation for low-power, high-speed all-optical signal processing.(author unknown)

For nearly half a century, scientists have been trying to figure out how to build a cost-effective and reasonably sized X-ray laser that could, among other things, provide super high-resolution imaging. And for the past two decades,scientists have been inching closer to that goal.(author unknown)12420587845914480195

European experts in nanotechnology, optoelectronics and quantum physics have advanced the generation, detection and manipulation of single photons in semiconductors. Their discoveries bring practical single-photon and quantum applications significantly closer.(author unknown)