Articles in 2010

By combining the output from two synchronized light sources, single-cycle laser pulses at the telecommunications wavelength of 1.5 μm have been successfully generated. The achievement is set to benefit ultrafast optical spectroscopy and attosecond science.

The development of new light sources and focusing techniques suggests that ultrafast X-ray microscopy is poised to impact numerous fields of science.

Extreme ultraviolet lithography extends photolithography to much shorter wavelengths and is a cost-effective method of producing more-advanced integrated circuits. Although some infrastructure challenges still remain, this technology is expected to begin high-volume microchip production within the next three years.

John Warlaumont, vice president of advanced technologies at SEMATECH, a consortium of the world's chip manufacturers, talks to Nadya Anscombe about the future of optical lithography.

A transistor that operates with photons rather than electrons is often heralded as the next step in information processing, but optical technology must first prove itself to be a viable solution in many different respects.

Could 2010 be the year that 3D display technology takes off in cinemas and homes? All the signs suggest that the answer is yes.

The entanglement of squeezed light beams is critical for quantum optical applications, but has so far been achieved with only two light beams. Now, researchers have surpassed this restriction and achieved entanglement with three beams of different colours. They also report a finite loss level for disentanglement of one beam from the other two.

It has long been known that the optical resonances of ultrahigh-Q whispering gallery mode resonators can split under the influence of particle scattering. Now scientists have exploited this splitting to accurately determine particle sizes.

Start-up company Nanoscribe has developed table-top systems that can write intricate 3D structures not possible through other lithographic technologies. Nadya Anscombe finds out how the company was founded and what its plans are for the future.