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Light sheet microscopy offers rapid 3D imaging of biological specimens while limiting photodamage. Nature Photonics spoke with Elizabeth Hillman of Columbia University about its capabilities, promising applications and present limitations.

The demonstration of a low-loss diamond mirror cavity that can temporally store X-ray pulses brings hope for a future generation of X-ray free electron lasers.

Platforms enabling control over strong light–matter interactions in optical cavities provide a challenging but promising way to manipulate emergent light–matter hybrids. Spin selectivity of transitions has now been demonstrated in a two-dimensional hole gas microcavity system, paving the way towards the study of new spin physics phenomena in hybrid excitations.

Vibrations of individual molecules are difficult to detect due to thermal noise. In a recent report, researchers overcome this challenge, upconverting mid-infrared photons into visible light using nanophotonic cavities. The result is high-efficiency optical readout for single-molecule vibrational spectroscopy.

Optical second-harmonic waves are generated from the electric quadrupole contribution in a centrosymmetric magnetic Weyl semimetal Co₃Sn₂S₂. Two magnetic orders and phase transitions are explored in temperature-dependent rotational anisotropy measurements by second-harmonic generation.

Combining random illumination microscopy with coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering and sum-frequency generation contrasts, a robust wide-field nonlinear microscope with a 3 µm axial sectioning capability and a 300 nm transverse resolution is demonstrated.

The interaction of terahertz waves with novel materials is bringing rich physics and new opportunities for applications.

Introduction of a starch-based layer inhibits ion migration and repairs defects generated on light/dark cycles in perovskite solar cells. Cells retain 98.0% of the initial power conversion efficiency after 42 illumination cycles, and achieve a certified power conversion efficiency of 23.9%.

Thanks to the unique properties of twisted double bilayer graphene heterostructures, an ultra-broadband photoconductivity spanning the spectral range of 2–100 μm with internal quantum efficiencies of approximately 40% at speeds of 100 kHz is reported.

Precise measurements of the length of an Earth day are essential for understanding global mass transport phenomena. A ring laser gyroscope provides absolute measurements of variations in the length of the day with a resolution of 5 parts per billion over a 14-day period.

Time reflection and refraction are experimentally observed in ultracold atoms. To this end, the time boundary is formed by imposing an abrupt change in the coupling strength of the atomic chain. Time boundary effects are robust against material disorder.

A self-contained ring laser interferometre measures length-of-day variations due to global mass transport phenomena with a precision of a few milliseconds over several months of measurements.

Mansoor Sheik-Bahae, an exceptionally inventive scientist who made important contributions to nonlinear optics, optical refrigeration and laser science, passed away in July 2023, aged 67. He will be cherished for his sharp intellect, good humour, warm heart and the scientific legacy he leaves.

Activity in using photonics for subsea wireless communications and power generation is starting to make waves.

The laser community returned to Prague to celebrate science and to be connected, in person, again, while high-power lasers were in the limelight.

A diffractive axicon (a device that diffracts the input light pulse radially) enables complex correlations between the topological charges and the frequencies of ultrashort laser pulses, resulting in a variety of ultrashort coiled light structures.

Researchers have developed efficient electro-optic tools for manipulating the time and frequency of single photons by taking inspiration from Fresnel lenses.