Researchers unveil unidirectional light focusing using diffractive optics

Physicists Use Optical Vortex Beams to Control Ionization for the First Time

A new discovery in strong-field physics demonstrates, for the first time, that ionization—the process by which electrons are ejected from atoms or molecules—can be precisely controlled using light beams with unique structural properties. The research, undertaken by a team of physicists at the University of Ottawa and published in Nature Communications, challenges long-held assumptions about the limits of electron behavior and opens the door to n…

Researchers unveil unidirectional light focusing using diffractive optics

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have unveiled a new optical technology that enables precise focusing of light—only in one direction. This novel unidirectional focusing design uses structured diffractive layers that are optimized using deep learning to transmit light efficiently in the forward direction of operation while effectively suppressing unwanted backward focusing of light.

Researchers Test a Completely Flat Telescope Lens

Telescope optics can be made of mirrors or lenses, but in both cases, they're bulky and need to follow a strict mathematical curve to focus light. Researchers have shown that it's possible to make a completely flat lens that focuses light. Traditionally, this has been done with Fresnel lenses, but they distort colors. Their new technique carves tiny concentric rings into a substrate that matches the wavelengths of different colors, allowing a fu…

Researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) have unveiled a new optical technology that allows for precise focus of light – only in one direction. This new one-way focus design uses structured diffractive layers that are optimized using deep learning to effectively transmit light [...]