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The promising field of terahertz imaging has long been limited by poor resolution. Researchers now believe that the intriguing properties of surface-plasmon polaritons on corrugated wires could help beat the diffraction limit and inspire a new generation of terahertz photonic devices.
The ability to rapidly tune the properties of a photonic crystal nanocavity and 'program' it to store light for more than a nanosecond brings optical memory a step closer.
As everything else seems to get faster, why are scientists trying to slow light down? David Gevaux spoke to Fengnian Xia and Yurii Vlasov at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center to find out.
Electronics firms, fashion houses and medical-equipment suppliers are all busy developing textiles that blend photonics technology with materials science. Duncan Graham-Rowe reports on the striking results of their endeavours.