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.”
Mixing solids and liquids enhances optical properties of both
New approach can dramatically change the extent to which optical devices scatter light.
A nanophotonic comeback for incandescent bulbs?
Researchers combine the warm look of traditional light bulbs with 21st-century energy efficiency.
Particles accelerate without a push
New analysis shows a way to self-propel subatomic particles, extend the lifetime of unstable isotopes.
Trapping light with a twister
New understanding of how to halt photons could lead to miniature particle accelerators, improved data transmission.
Running the color gamut
MIT spinout’s quantum-dot technology makes LCD TVs more colorful, energy-efficient.
Teaching light new tricks
Graduate student Wade Hsu and colleagues confine light to a crystal surface and design a transparent display using nanoparticles.
A mirror with a peephole
MIT graduate student Yichen Shen designs a photonic crystal system that lets light pass through at a specific angle.
Vision-correcting displays
Technology could lead to e-readers, smartphones, and displays that let users dispense with glasses.
Faculty highlight: Marin Soljacic
Physicist reveals new techniques for controlling light by angle, creating transparent displays and photonic crystal bandgaps.
Making the cut
Lincoln Laboratory spinout is commercializing the first direct-diode laser bright enough to cut and weld metal.
Harnessing the speed of light
Nicholas Fang pushes the limits of light to improve performance in communication, fabrication, and medical imaging.
A new angle on controlling light
System could provide first method for filtering light waves based on direction.
A new wrinkle in the control of waves
Flexible materials could provide ways to manipulate sound and light.
A new way to trap light
MIT researchers discover a new phenomenon that could lead to new types of lasers and sensors.