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Volume 3 Issue 5, May 2009

Electronic paper that offers a large contrast, strong saturated colours and a bright appearance in ambient light may soon be a realistic prospect thanks to the development of an electrofluidic display. The display reported by Jason Heikenfeld and his co-workers operates by using electromechanical forces to control the extent to which water-based inks cover the surface of miniature aluminium reflectors that serve as pixels.

Cover design by Tom Wilson.

Article by Heikenfeld et. al

Volume 3 Issue 5

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Editorial

  • Accountability of coauthors for scientific misconduct, guest authorship and deliberate or negligent citation plagiarism, highlight the need for accurate author contribution statements.

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Commentary

  • New optical technologies have revolutionized astronomy, from the invention of the telescope 400 years ago to more recent developments of adaptive optics and segmented mirrors. The next disruptive technologies could well emerge from integrated photonic devices.

    • Colin Cunningham
    Commentary
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Research Highlights

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News & Views

  • Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have generated billions of positrons, forming the highest antimatter densities ever created on earth, by using superintense short laser pulses.

    • Carsten Müller
    • Christoph H. Keitel
    News & Views

  • Random lasers can be made simply by grinding a laser crystal and optically pumping the resulting powder. The physics behind the resulting laser emission is rich but has led to much controversy. New experiments may now settle the debate behind their operation.

    • Diederik S. Wiersma
    News & Views

  • Pigmented inks in a microfluidic structure provide a new approach for fabricating bright, colourful electronic paper with a reflectivity of greater than 50%. The challenge now is to combine the scheme with fully functioning drive electronics.

    • Paul Drzaic
    News & Views

  • The construction of a polymer solar cell that can successfully collect an electron and hole for almost every incident photon suggests that great improvements in the efficiency of organic photovoltaics should be possible.

    • Michael D. McGehee
    News & Views
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Erratum

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Editorial

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Business News

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Research Highlights

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Profile

  • Laser systems manufacturer Trumpf believes it can survive in the current economic climate with its strategy of diversification in both the laser technologies it is able to offer clients and the wide range of end-user applications that it serves. Nadya Anscombe finds out more.

    Profile
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Industry Perspective

  • With its intense power and flexibility, the laser has revolutionized sintering technology and made possible the rapid manufacture of prototypes and components from electronic data.

    • Christof M. Stotko
    Industry Perspective

  • Laser shock peening is a surface treatment process for increasing the strength and reliability of metal components. Traditionally applied to aircraft parts, the technology also shows great potential for automotive and medical applications.

    • Richard D. Tenaglia
    • David F. Lahrman
    Industry Perspective

  • Laser welding of plastics is now a convenient and flexible technique that is proving popular for joining automotive parts and medical equipment as well as consumer products.

    • Manuel Sieben
    • Frank Brunnecker
    Industry Perspective
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Product Highlights

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Interview

  • Swiss company Synova is commercializing an innovative materials processing technique that uses a water-guided laser beam to allow 'cold laser cutting'. Nadya Anscombe talks to the company's chief technical advisor, Alexandre Pauchard, to find out more.

    • Nadya Anscombe
    Interview
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Letter

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Article

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Erratum

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Corrigendum

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Interview

  • A prototype display technology that electromechanically transports colourful aqueous dispersed pigments over the surface of mirror-like pixels is a promising new approach to making electronic paper with high reflectivity and contrast. Nature Photonics spoke to Jason Heikenfeld to learn more.

    • Oliver Graydon
    Interview
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Focus

  • The laser has proven to be a valuable tool in many forms of materials processing ranging from cutting and welding to sintering and peening.

    Focus
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