Sep. 04, 2012

Improving Laser Micro-machining with New Modes of Polarisation

A new optical technique, capable of producing laser beams with unusual modes of electric field, has been developed by scientists at the University of Liverpool. The new technique could have a major impact on laser micro-machining, by increasing process efficiency and quality through the use of different modes of ‘polarisation' or electric fields. These are unusual states of light and difficult to produce.
moreAug. 28, 2012

High-resolution Microscopy: Imaging 100 times Faster with Digital Microscope

Researchers at the University of Leicester have developed a new form of digital microscope which can create an image 100 times faster than regular equipment - without losing image quality. The team of scientists have developed a new type of confocal microscope that produces high-resolution images at very fast speeds.
moreAug. 28, 2012

Confocal Light-sheet Microscopy: Sharper View of Brain's Neural Network

A team of Italian researchers has performed a sight-correcting feat for a microscope imaging technique designed to explore the neural pathways of the brain. The researchers combined the advantages of light sheet illumination with confocal microscopy and called their new technique confocal light sheet microscopy (CLSM). The images obtained with CLSM, Francesco Pavone says, are 100 percent sharper than those acquired with conventional light-sheet based microscopy.
moreAug. 28, 2012

Carl Zeiss Wins G.I.T. InnovationsAward 2012

The G.I.T. Laboratory Journal officially announced the winners of the G.I.T. InnovationsAward 2012. The CrossBeam (FIB SEM) Auriga Laser from Carl Zeiss Microscopy took first place in the field of Laboratory Equipment & Technology. Prior to the final voting, a jury of scientists had examined all submissions and made a selection. Readers of G.I.T. Laboratory Journal, customers and visitors of Analytica 2012 in Munich and of Achema 2012 in Frankfurt then selected their favorites.
moreAug. 23, 2012

Space–time Symmetry Renders Optical Systems Invisible

For the first time ever, physicists from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have succeeded in proving that an optical system can be ‘invisible' from one side and act like a mirror from the other side. The study has been published in Nature. 
moreAug. 23, 2012

Tracking Photocatalysis with Tip-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Detailed molecular-scale measurements of a chemical reaction accelerated by sunlight have been made for the first time ever. Chemists at Utrecht University (The Netherlands) and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany) have set up a special microscope to simultaneously take part in and observe the catalysed chemical reaction. The results were published in Nature Nanotechnology.
moreAug. 22, 2012

New 3-D Visualization Technology Using Lensless X-ray Coherent Diffraction Imaging

For the first time scientists have combined high-resolution imaging with 3-D viewing of the surface layer of material using X-ray vision in a way that does not damage the sample. This new technique expands the range of X-ray research possible for biology and many aspects of nanotechnology, particularly nanofilms, photonics, and micro- and nano-electronics. This new technique also reduces "guesswork" by eliminating the need for modeling-dependent structural simulation often used in X-ray analysis.
moreAug. 21, 2012

Studying Glowing Materials with a Spatial Resolution of 30 nm

Researchers at King's College London, in collaboration with European research institutes ICFO (Barcelona) and AMOLF (Amsterdam), have succeeded in mapping how light behaves in complex photonic materials inspired by nature, like iridescent butterfly wings. Scientists have broken the limit of light resolution at the nanoscale and delivered a fundamental insight into how light and matter interact, which could lead to the development of enhanced bio-sensors for healthcare and more efficient solar cells and displays.
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