Innovations for Health: When Molecular Spectroscopy Meets Lasers and Photonics

"An all-optical, minimally invasive and label-free diagnostic tool could represent a significant advance in health..."

17-Feb-2025 - A team led by DESY scientist Tim Laarmann has successfully detected the vibrational fingerprints of glucose molecules in aqueous solution using a nonlinear optical method in the mid-infrared spectral range called ultra-broadband vibrational sum-frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy. The ...

Scientists adapt astronomy method to unblur microscopy images

New method to generate clearer images of thick biological samples

14-Jun-2024 - Astronomers figured out long ago how to make the images their telescopes capture of far-away galaxies clearer and sharper. By using techniques that measure how light is distorted by the atmosphere, they can apply corrections to cancel out aberrations. Microscopists have been adapting these ...

Sweat sensor wristwatch offers real time monitoring of body chemistry

This watch's long-term reliability is remarkable

30-May-2024 - According to a research published inACS Nano, a unique wristwatch has been created by a team led by Prof. HUANG Xingjiu from the Institute of Solid State Physics at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Sciences ofChinese Academy of Sciences. Multiple modules, including a sensor array, a ...

Researchers can now accurately measure the emergence and damping of a plasmonic field

This is crucial for renewable energy and other technologies

13-May-2024 - An international research team led by Universität Hamburg, DESY, and Stanford University has developed a new approach to characterize the electric field of arbitrary plasmonic samples, like e.g. gold nanoparticles. Plasmonic materials are of particular interest due to their extraordinary ...

Flexible microspectrometer for mobile applications

Fraunhofer IOF presents high-resolution spectral measurements with miniaturized optics

05-Apr-2024 - Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF have developed a very compact spectrometer module. It maps spectra from 39 optical fibers onto one camera sensor in a small space. This is made possible by a special micro-optical system. The technology, ...

“Optical fingerprints” on an electron beam

Researchers observe non-linear optical processes in the electron microscope

17-Jan-2024 - The precise control of electron beams in so-called transmission electron microscopes (TEM) makes it possible to analyze materials or molecules at the atomic level. Combined with short light pulses, these devices can also be used to analyze dynamic processes. Researchers from Göttingen and ...

Progress in the investigation of fast electron movements with short light pulses

22-Dec-2023 - A German-Swedish team has now succeeded in studying the rapid movements of electrons simultaneously with high spatial accuracy and a temporal resolution in the attosecond range. The researchers combined a special variant of electron microscopy, known as photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM), ...

Aston University technology to combat the not-so sweet practice of honey fraud

Light technology to be used to detect if honey is blended with cheap additions

06-Oct-2023 - Aston University and The Scottish Bee Company are joining forces to help combat the not-so sweet practice of honey fraud using the science of light. Globally honey adulteration is the second most commonfoodfraud, followingmilk.With help and support from the British Beekeepers Association and ...

Virtual lab calculates optimal lubricant composition

Extending lubricant lifespan: Sensor system developed for real-time monitoring

06-Sep-2023 - Mechanical bearings and gearboxes — like those used in electric vehicles and wind farms — are often treated with lubricants to avoid friction and wear. However, these components might be under voltage. This would impair the effectiveness of the lubricants to such a degree that the tribological ...

Researchers from Poland, France and Italy are honored for their work in cell biology, biomineralization and photonics

WITec Paper Award 2023 Recognizes Outstanding Publications

31-Jul-2023 - The WITec Paper Awards 2023 have been presented to scientists from Poland, France and Italy for their work in cell biology, biomineralization and the development of photonic devices, respectively. The competition recognizes three scientific publications per year that contain results acquired with ...