Latest photonics and optics news

Ultrafast Plasmon-Enhanced Magnetic Bit Switching at the Nanoscale
MBI researchers demonstrated a way to control and manipulate nanoscale magnetic bits:
Researchers from Max Born Institute have demonstrated a successful way to control and manipulate nanoscale magnetic bits — the building blocks of digital data — using an ultrafast laser pulse and plasmonic gold…

An elegant method for the detection of single spins using photovoltage
The approach of an HZB team could lead to a much more compact design of quantum sensors:
Diamonds with certain optically active defects can be used as highly sensitive sensors or qubits for quantum computers, where the quantum information is stored in the electron spin state of these colour centres.…

New research unit to study the generation, transport and detection of chiral phonons
DFG funds spintronics research with 3.2 million euros / MBI involved:
Spintronics is already widely used in data storage, sensor technology and, increasingly, in communication technology. Many of our cars and cell phones already contain components based on spintronics. Spintronics means…

FBH leads European diode-pumped laser efforts
EuPRAXIA selects second laser-driven accelerator site:
The EuPRAXIA consortium has selected ELI Beamlines at ELI ERIC in the Czech Republic as the site for its laser-driven second plasma-accelerator pillar. This decision marks a major milestone in the consortium’s journey…

Breakthrough: First electron beam in SEALab advances accelerator physics
HZB team generates and accelerates an electron beam from a multi-alkali photocathode:
The SEALab team at HZB has achieved a world first by generating an electron beam from a multi-alkali (Na-K-Sb) photocathode and accelerating it to relativistic energies in a superconducting radiofrequency accelerator…

Efficient soil analysis – high-tech for sustainable agriculture
Mobile sensor platform from Leibniz Institutes ATB and FBH can precisely detect the composition of soil on the move:
Precise information about agricultural soils is key to managing them more efficiently and sustainably. Researchers at the Leibniz institutes FBH and ATB have recently enhanced an existing sensor platform for mobile…

Catalysis research with the X-ray microscope at BESSY II
Scientists studied changes in catalysts during the synthesis of ammonia from waste nitrates:
Contrary to what we learned at school, some catalysts do change during the reaction: for example, certain electrocatalysts can change their structure and composition during the reaction when an electric field is…

Bruker introduces a new EBSD detector for advanced materials characterization
eWARP combines direct electron detection and CMOS technologies:
Bruker announces the launch of eWARP, a new detector for Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) that marks the advent of a new era in EBSD technology. Featuring a revolutionary Bruker-engineered camera that combines…
Agreement on EUV reflectometry between PTB and ZEISS extended until the end of 2029
Cooperation strengthens the European technology network:
PTB's laboratory for metrology with synchrotron radiation in Berlin-Adlershof is an important node in the network of European research infrastructure that has helped to enable the monopoly position of European…

Hera space probe photographs Mars during flyby
The ESA mission is on its way to the Didymos asteroid system:
On 12 March 2025, the European Space Agency (ESA) Hera space probe conducted a flyby of Mars. This event marks a significant milestone on Hera's journey to the Didymos asteroid system, where researchers aim to gain…

Berlin instrument flies to the Moon with IM-2 mission
New lunar mission to demonstrate search for water ice at Moon's south pole:
In the early hours of 27 February 2025, at 00:30 Central European Time, the IM-2 mission launches, carrying the Athena lander from the US New Space company Intuitive Machines on its second mission to the Moon. On…

MBI researchers manipulate the propagation of light in everyday liquids using ultrashort light pulses
Discovery enables new applications for optical measurement technology and communication with light:
The phase and the group velocity of light propagating in conventional optical media cannot exceed the speed of light in vacuum. However, in so-called epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) materials, light exhibits an infinite phase…

Benefit from the early bird discount for Photonics Days 2025
Trade fair and conference on 8 and 9 October with prominent guests in Berlin-Adlershof:
The Photonics Days 2025 are once again expected to attract more than 400 participants, 100 national and international speakers, 36 exhibitors from all over Germany as well as the visits of our international political…

PicoQuant launches HydraHarp500 on the market
The time tagger sets new standards in speed, precision, and flexibility:
PicoQuant GmbH, based in Adlershof, has unveiled its latest development, HydraHarp 500. The device is described as the next-generation Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC) unit. With outstanding time…

TOPTICA EAGLEYARD presents mini laser diodes with high stability and efficiency
Launch of the 780 nm fibre-coupled miniECL:
With the launch of the fibre-coupled miniECL 780 nm at the 2025’s SPIE Photonics West, TOPTICA EAGLEYARD once again shows how convenient and efficient using laser diodes has become. Engineers, design engineers and…
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