Topic
Light
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Chip design drastically reduces energy needed to compute with light
Simulations suggest photonic chip could run optical neural networks 10 million times more efficiently than its electrical counterparts.
June 5, 2019 -
Novel optics for ultrafast cameras create new possibilities for imaging
Technique can capture a scene at multiple depths with one shutter click — no zoom lens needed.
August 13, 2018 -
Researchers devise new way to make light interact with matter
Reducing the wavelength of light could allow it to be absorbed or emitted by a semiconductor, study suggests.
June 4, 2018 -
AI-based method could speed development of specialized nanoparticles
Neural network could expedite complex physics simulations.
June 1, 2018 -
New exotic phenomena seen in photonic crystals
Researchers observe, for the first time, topological effects unique to an “open” system.
January 11, 2018 -
Tiny “motors” are driven by light
Researchers demonstrate nanoscale particles that ordinary light sources can set spinning.
June 30, 2017 -
New system allows optical “deep learning”
Neural networks could be implemented more quickly using new photonic technology.
June 12, 2017 -
New method for analyzing crystal structure
Exotic materials called photonic crystals reveal their internal characteristics with new method.
November 25, 2016 -
Study opens new realms of light-matter interaction
Some “forbidden” light emissions are in fact possible, could enable new sensors and light-emitting devices.
July 14, 2016 -
Researchers discover new way to turn electricity into light, using graphene
By slowing down light to a speed slower than flowing electrons, researchers create a kind of optical “sonic boom.”
June 13, 2016 -
Mixing solids and liquids enhances optical properties of both
New approach can dramatically change the extent to which optical devices scatter light.
June 9, 2016 -
A nanophotonic comeback for incandescent bulbs?
Researchers combine the warm look of traditional light bulbs with 21st-century energy efficiency.
January 11, 2016 -
Particles accelerate without a push
New analysis shows a way to self-propel subatomic particles, extend the lifetime of unstable isotopes.
January 20, 2015 -
Trapping light with a twister
New understanding of how to halt photons could lead to miniature particle accelerators, improved data transmission.
December 22, 2014 -
Running the color gamut
MIT spinout’s quantum-dot technology makes LCD TVs more colorful, energy-efficient.
November 19, 2014 -
Teaching light new tricks
Graduate student Wade Hsu and colleagues confine light to a crystal surface and design a transparent display using nanoparticles.
August 22, 2014 -
A mirror with a peephole
MIT graduate student Yichen Shen designs a photonic crystal system that lets light pass through at a specific angle.
August 12, 2014 -
Vision-correcting displays
Technology could lead to e-readers, smartphones, and displays that let users dispense with glasses.
July 31, 2014 -
Faculty highlight: Marin Soljacic
Physicist reveals new techniques for controlling light by angle, creating transparent displays and photonic crystal bandgaps.
July 29, 2014 -
Making the cut
Lincoln Laboratory spinout is commercializing the first direct-diode laser bright enough to cut and weld metal.
July 23, 2014