Volume 1 Issue 10, October 2007

Examples of structural phase changes abound in the natural world around us. But if we can exploit such changes on the nanoscale using light, new nanophotonics technology may be just around the corner.

Optical coherence tomography is rapidly becoming an important clinical tool, which provides high-resolution images that cannot be obtained by other means. Duncan Graham-Rowe spoke to a few of the companies developing the technology.

An innovative approach to making silicon solar cells more cost-effective and robust has now entered mass production. Nature Photonics took a trip to Kyoto, Japan, to find out more.

Coating a semiconductor heterostructure post with a layer of gold enables electrical pumping of nano-sized lasers. This experimental result could dispel the common belief that metallic coatings are too lossy to make good reflectors for tiny emitters.

An electro–optic scheme for sampling the electric field of laser pulses without the need for any synchronization could become a valuable tool for characterizing sources that emit in the infrared and terahertz regions.

A group at Caltech have used an optical microcavity to perform label-free detection of single molecules for the first time. The work represents a milestone in the application of optical cavities in sensing, and could lead to the realization of ultrasensitive lab-on-a-chip systems.

The acquisition of one of the pioneers of polymer LED displays by a Japanese chemical giant looks set to give organic optoelectronics a welcome boost.

Chinese investment in high-intensity ultrashort-pulse generation seems to be paying off with several groups reporting their latest breakthroughs at CLEO/Pacific Rim 2007.

Optical methods to probe electric fields in organic transistors in situ during operation provide a deeper understanding of factors that limit carrier mobility in these devices.

Whether you are simulating a lens, an optical communications system or a car headlamp, optical software can help you reach the optimum design. Neil Savage takes a look at some of the latest packages on offer.

Analysing the spectral and temporal performance of lasers operating in the mid- and far-infrared is challenging. Now, electro–optic sampling appears to be a convenient solution. Nature Photonics spoke to Klaus Reimann from the Max-Born-Institut in Berlin about the technique.