Now, Ziwei Fan and colleagues, from the USA and China, have demonstrated directional thermal emission using pixelated, large-area, micro-optical arrays (Z. Fan et al. Nat. Commun. 15, 4533; 2024). Using carefully designed micro-optics (top left picture), the team experimentally demonstrated broadband, polarization-independent directional control of thermal radiation. The directional micro-emitter was

The field of plasmonics continues to show its potential scientific and technological impact, as new companies exploiting plasmonics beyond sensing applications emerge.

Nathalie Picqué, the new director at the Max Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI) in Berlin, Germany, tells us all we need to know about frequency combs and dual-comb spectroscopy, and shares with us some golden tips on becoming a successful scientist.

Interferometry is one of the most sensitive techniques available to test physical theories and make measurements. In particular, optical ring interferometers based on the Sagnac effect are commonly used to measure rotation, but their performance is constrained by the shot-noise limit. Employing quantum states of light allows for more sensitive optical phase measurements as compared to classical-light

The highly efficient nonlinear conversion of infrared to visible light in high-Q silicon resonators is enabling new opportunities for infrared imaging, sensing and communications (G. Sanderson et al. J. Opt. 26, 065505; 2024). The team fabricated a set of silicon nanodisks on a quartz substrate with a radius ranging from 205 to 500 nm and a height of 550 nm.

Joseph Izatt’s work advanced the science of imaging in biophotonics and brought optical coherence tomography imaging to the eye care of infants and children and, as live feedback for the surgeon, to ophthalmic microsurgery.

Although three-dimensional laser nanofabrication has become an established and widespread technology, research towards achieving higher resolutions, higher speeds, lower costs, mass production, more material availability and more functionality for this technology continues.

Kyunghun Han and co-workers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, University of Maryland, and Theiss Research in the USA have developed an on-chip comb spectrometer composed of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer with an electro-optic phase modulator on each arm (pictured). A diode laser with a wavelength near 1,550 nm was coupled to the input waveguide, which consisted of a Si3N4 ridge

Following first lasing at LCLS-II — a coherent X-ray laser source driven by a 700-m superconducting linear accelerator — several upgrades are already in the works. Nature Photonics spoke to LCLS director Mike Dunne about LCLS-II commissioning hurdles as well as future plans.

Global proliferation of free-electron laser X-ray sources has improved accessibility. Now the race is on for high repetition rates, attosecond pulses, and full coherence.

Novel optical components that withstand high-power laser irradiation and micro light-emitting diodes capable of full-colour emission were highlights of the Japan Society of Applied Physics Spring Meeting.