This issue - pv

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.106

Full Text - This issue | PDF (262 KB) - This issue

In the limelight - p383

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.107

Photonics research features heavily in the 2008 Prince of Asturias Awards, where its role in benefiting the environment and combating poverty is celebrated.

Full Text - In the limelight | PDF (165 KB) - In the limelight

Hyperentanglement, delayed images, exciton logic, and more - pp384 - 385

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.108

Full Text - Hyperentanglement, delayed images, exciton logic, and more | PDF (199 KB) - Hyperentanglement, delayed images, exciton logic, and more

Plasmonics: Subwavelength imaging in colour - pp387 - 388

Peter Nordlander

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.110

A chain of nanorods with weakly damped plasmon resonances is able to perform far-field colour imaging with subwavelength resolution, according to theoretical simulations.

Full Text - PlasmonicsSubwavelength imaging in colour | PDF (809 KB) - PlasmonicsSubwavelength imaging in colour

Photonic circuits: Organic integration - p388

Rachel Won

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.109

Full Text - Photonic circuitsOrganic integration | PDF (576 KB) - Photonic circuitsOrganic integration

Silicon photonics: Lighting up the chip - pp389 - 390

Attila Mekis

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.111

A tiny GeSi electro-absorption modulator with energy consumption at the femtojoule-per-bit level represents a step towards bringing photonics ever closer to computer chips.

Full Text - Silicon photonicsLighting up the chip | PDF (388 KB) - Silicon photonicsLighting up the chip

X-ray imaging: Ultrafast diffract-and-destroy movies - pp390 - 391

John Spence

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.115

Combining optical and X-ray lasers enables imaging with high temporal and spectral resolution. By taking pictures of a succession of exploding targets, a movie can be made charting the dynamics of the solid material on a 10-ps timescale.

Full Text - X-ray imagingUltrafast diffract-and-destroy movies | PDF (341 KB) - X-ray imagingUltrafast diffract-and-destroy movies

Photon counting: Avalanche inspiration - pp392 - 393

Gerard Milburn

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.113

The ability of a customized avalanche-photodiode detector to distinguish the exact number of photons that it receives will simplify the tools required to perform reliable experiments in quantum optics.

Full Text - Photon countingAvalanche inspiration | PDF (213 KB) - Photon countingAvalanche inspiration

Data storage: Blue laser battle - p393

Nadya Anscombe

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.116

Full Text - Data storageBlue laser battle | PDF (183 KB) - Data storageBlue laser battle

Photodynamic Therapy: Two photons are better than one - pp394 - 395

Stanley Brown

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.112

Over the past 20 years photodynamic therapy, a cell-killing technique where a photosensitizing drug is activated by carefully targeted visible light, has led to new therapies for cancer and other diseases. In doing so it has won support from scientists, clinicians and patients alike.

Full Text - Photodynamic TherapyTwo photons are better than one | PDF (565 KB) - Photodynamic TherapyTwo photons are better than one

View from...CLEO/QELS 2008: Scientific exploration comes to the fore - pp395 - 396

Amber Jenkins

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.117

Gravity waves, event horizons and the interplay between light and fluids are just a few of the topics that were touched on at the CLEO/QELS Conference in the USA in May. Nature Photonics reports.

Full Text - View from...CLEO/QELS 2008Scientific exploration comes to the fore | PDF (865 KB) - View from...CLEO/QELS 2008Scientific exploration comes to the fore

Random lasers: Resonance control - pp397 - 398

M. A. Noginov

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.114

Random lasers do not have mirrors or optical elements. They often lack a well-defined shape or size, and their emission wavelength is difficult to tune. Now it is shown that the optical resonances in an ensemble of microspheres can provide the crucial element of control.

Full Text - Random lasersResonance control | PDF (414 KB) - Random lasersResonance control

Ultrafast single-shot diffraction imaging of nanoscale dynamics - pp415 - 419

Anton Barty, Sébastien Boutet, Michael J. Bogan, Stefan Hau-Riege, Stefano Marchesini, Klaus Sokolowski-Tinten, Nikola Stojanovic, Ra'anan Tobey, Henri Ehrke, Andrea Cavalleri, Stefan Düsterer, Matthias Frank, Saa Bajt, Bruce W. Woods, M. Marvin Seibert, Janos Hajdu, Rolf Treusch & Henry N. Chapman

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.128

High-speed imaging gives us a fascinating insight into ultrafast changes in materials. By combining the speed of optical pulses and the short wavelength of X-ray pulses, imaging with 50-nm spatial and 10-ps temporal resolution is possible, with scope to go much further.

Abstract - | Full Text - Ultrafast single-shot diffraction imaging of nanoscale dynamics | PDF (399 KB) - Ultrafast single-shot diffraction imaging of nanoscale dynamics

Subject Category: Imaging and sensing

See also: News and Views by Spence

Blood-vessel closure using photosensitizers engineered for two-photon excitation - pp420 - 424

Hazel A. Collins, Mamta Khurana, Eduardo H. Moriyama, Adrian Mariampillai, Emma Dahlstedt, Milan Balaz, Marina K. Kuimova, Mikhail Drobizhev, Victor X. D. Yang, David Phillips, Aleksander Rebane, Brian C. Wilson & Harry L. Anderson

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.100

Two-photon excitation is attractive for photodynamic therapy as it potentially allows deeper penetration within biological tissue and targeting with better precision. However, two-photon cross-sections of light-sensitive drugs are typically small, which has until now limited their practical utility. Now Anderson and colleagues have come up with a new family of light-sensitive drugs that are designed for efficient two-photon excitation. They demonstrate selective closure of blood vessels in mice using one of their new drugs.

Abstract - | Full Text - Blood-vessel closure using photosensitizers engineered for two-photon excitation | PDF (469 KB) - Blood-vessel closure using photosensitizers engineered for two-photon excitation | Supplementary information

Subject Category: Biophotonics

See also: News and Views by Brown

An avalanche-photodiode-based photon-number-resolving detector - pp425 - 428

B. E. Kardyna, Z. L. Yuan & A. J. Shields

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.101

Determining the exact number of photons in a weak light pulse is an important requirement for many applications in quantum optics. Now, contrary to popular belief, Andrew Shields and colleagues have demonstrated that an avalanche-photodiode detector can perform the task.

Abstract - | Full Text - An avalanche-photodiode-based photon-number-resolving detector | PDF (538 KB) - An avalanche-photodiode-based photon-number-resolving detector

Subject Categories: Quantum optics | Optoelectronic devices and components

See also: News and Views by Milburn

Resonance-driven random lasing - pp429 - 432

Stefano Gottardo, Riccardo Sapienza, Pedro D. García, Alvaro Blanco, Diederik S. Wiersma & Cefe López

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.102

In a random laser, the conventional optical cavity is replaced by light scattering from many particles. The random arrangement of the particles makes it difficult to tune the lasing to a chosen wavelength. However, tuning is possible by controlling the size of the particles.

Abstract - | Full Text - Resonance-driven random lasing | PDF (342 KB) - Resonance-driven random lasing | Supplementary information

Subject Categories: Lasers, LEDs and light sources | Fundamental optical physics

See also: News and Views by Noginov

Waveguide-integrated, ultralow-energy GeSi electro-absorption modulators - pp433 - 437

Jifeng Liu, Mark Beals, Andrew Pomerene, Sarah Bernardis, Rong Sun, Jing Cheng, Lionel C. Kimerling & Jurgen Michel

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.99

A waveguide–integrated GeSi electro-absorption modulator on silicon with an ultra-low energy consumption of 50 fJ^–1bit is presented. Operating in the spectral range of 1539—1553 nm, the CMOS–compatible device has an active area of 30 m² and is anticipated to be useful for future communication systems based on large–scale electronic–photonic integration on silicon.

Abstract - | Full Text - Waveguide-integrated, ultralow-energy GeSi electro-absorption modulators | PDF (413 KB) - Waveguide-integrated, ultralow-energy GeSi electro-absorption modulators

Subject Category: Optoelectronic devices and components

See also: News and Views by Mekis

Subwavelength colour imaging with a metallic nanolens - pp438 - 442

Satoshi Kawata, Atsushi Ono & Prabhat Verma

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.103

A stack of silver nanorods could, according to calculations, be the answer to performing subwavelength colour imaging over far-field distances. The metallic nanolens is designed to operate in the visible wavelength range and by tapering the nanorods, image magnification is also shown to be feasible. If realized such a lens could be useful for imaging applications in the biomedical sciences and other fields.

Abstract - | Full Text - Subwavelength colour imaging with a metallic nanolens | PDF (389 KB) - Subwavelength colour imaging with a metallic nanolens

Subject Categories: Imaging and sensing | Plasmonics | Novel materials and engineered structures

See also: News and Views by Nordlander

Photonics at NPG - pp443 - 444

A round-up of recent papers in the field of photonics published by the physical sciences division of the Nature Publishing Group.

Full Text - Photonics at NPG | PDF (206 KB) - Photonics at NPG

Not so random - p446

Interview with Diederik Wiersma

doi:10.1038/nphoton.2008.126

Random lasers, as their name implies, are difficult to predict. Nature Photonics spoke to Diederik Wiersma at the European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy in Florence, Italy, about taming their random nature.

Full Text - Not so random | PDF (159 KB) - Not so random