Conventional lenses, which bend light through glass or plastic, are often bulky, heavy, and offer limited control over light waves. In contrast, metaoptics, consisting of flat surfaces with tiny structures called metaatoms, allow for precise control of light, including its phase, amplitude, and polarization. This precision enables the replacement of multiple optical components with a single metaoptical surface, reducing the size of optical systems without compromising their performance.

At the Hannover Messe, researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) demonstrated an optical component that enables highly efficient light control at steep incident angles, overcoming previous limitations. The researchers developed a metagrating with four times the efficiency of conventional systems, allowing unprecedented control over light under challenging conditions.

Metaoptics are particularly suitable for cameras, sensors, and augmented-reality displays due to their ability to enhance functionality while reducing the size of optical systems. Potential applications include material sorting, quality control, medical imaging, microscopy, and solar cells. They could also significantly benefit robotics and autonomous driving, which rely on object recognition.

The ultrafast dynamics and interactions of electrons in solids have been a challenge to observe directly. Researchers from the University of Oldenburg and Politecnico di Milano have developed a new spectroscopic method that uses ultra-short laser pulses to analyze the movement of electrons in materials. This method, known as two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES), allows for the study of quantum-physical processes with high temporal resolution. The team has found a way to simplify the experimental implementation of this procedure, making it more accessible for wider use.

The research involves using a sequence of three ultrashort laser pulses to excite electrons in a material, changing its optical properties, and then using a third pulse to provide information about the excited system. By varying the time intervals between these pulses, different stages of the process can be observed. The team's new approach, which involves adding an optical component to an interferometer, has significantly improved the precision of the laser pulses.

This breakthrough could lead to new insights into various quantum-physical processes, such as chemical reactions and energy transfer in solar cells.

➀ Marvell introduces the COLORZ III 800G, an 800G ZR+ optical module that supports up to 1000km reach at 800Gbps speeds;

➁ The module uses OSFP form factor and can be tuned for 400Gbps communication at up to 2500km;

➂ The technology behind the module involves converting electrical signals to optical signals and vice versa for long-distance data transmission.

Researchers have developed a novel method to track light fields directly within optical resonators. This enables precise measurements at the exact locations where future field-resolved studies of light-matter interactions will take place.

Scientists from the Department of Physical Chemistry at the Fritz-Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf have developed a new experimental platform to measure the electric fields of light trapped between two mirrors with precision below a light cycle. These electro-optical Fabry-Pérot resonators allow for precise control and observation of light-matter interactions, particularly in the terahertz (THz) spectral region.

Through the development of a tunable hybrid resonator design and the measurement and modeling of its complex mode spectrum, physicists can now actively switch between nodes and maxima of light waves at relevant resonator locations. This study thus opens new paths for the exploration of quantum electrodynamics and the ultrafast control of material properties.

➀ This article introduces a LIDAR-pulsed time-of-flight reference design using high-speed data converters from Texas Instruments (TI). It highlights the benefits of a high-speed data converter-based solution, such as improved target identification, reduced sample rate demands, and a simpler signal chain.

➁ The design supports a measurement range of up to 9 meters or more with additional optics and increased laser power. It achieves a range measurement mean error of less than ±6 mm and a standard deviation of less than 3 cm, ensuring high accuracy.

➂ The system uses a pulsed ToF measurement method with DFT-based range estimation for improved efficiency. Key components include 14-bit, 125-MSPS ADCs, 16-bit, 500-MSPS DACs, high-speed amplifiers, and precise clocking.