Optics and Photonics News

  • Researchers at AIST have directly observed magnetic flux quanta generated in a superconductor by photon absorption and demonstrated a new principle of photon detection that identifies the number of photons based on the number of these flux quanta.
  • In 1953, two physicists showed that an electron beam skimming past a grating emits light whose color depends only on the electron's speed and the grating's spacing. Known as Smith-Purcell radiation, this phenomenon has become a useful tool for building compact, tunable light sources and tracking particle beams without touching them.

Nanotechnology News

  • A superconducting material studied for 40 years has turned out to be far more complex than scientists believed. Advanced 3D imaging revealed a hidden patchwork of crystal structures, with unusually wide boundaries that may weaken superconductivity. The discovery challenges decades of scientific assumptions and could explain why some superconductors outperform others.

IMAKS is preparing for power outage

All power will be down on NCSU Centennial campus starting at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 2 . The crews will connect power lines to newly constructed buildings. As a result, all instruments have to be powered down and unplugged from wall outlets.

Lab temperature today

The facilities were planning to do work on secondary power lines (emergency lights, signs, and such). Accidentally, this morning they switched off the HVAC system and lab hoods. As a result, the lab got hot beyond the operating range of ultrafast lasers. facilities have been contacted. The temperature is getting to normal now. We anticipate we can start running experiments around 11 a.m.