photonic crystal Resources

ZDNet Dictionary Definition

Photonic Crystal: A nanostructured array of holes used as an optical semiconductor. Just as electronic bandgaps prevent electrons from passing through, photonic crystals create photonic bandgaps that confine light. This...; Full Photonic Crystal Definition >>

Memory storage for light-based computers: In a brief article, Japanese scientists cage light, The Register reports that scientists working for NTT have used photonic crystals to trap light by over one nanosecond. In fact, light was trapped inside a wavelength-sized micro-cavity, delaying its transmission. So the apparent speed of light was reduced by a factor...; Tags: Semiconductors, storage, computer, NTT Corp., photonic crystal; Blog posts 2006-12-26
A photonic 'lab-on-a-chip': Georgia Tech researchers have shrunk an optical device called wavelength demultipler WD by combining into one crystal three unique properties of photonics crystals. This optical discovery opens the way to sophisticated and cheap biosensors mounted on 'lab-on-a-chip' devices -- sensors to run blood tests, detect chemicals in water supplies or...; Tags: wavelength, wavelength demultipler; Blog posts 2006-08-06
Lasers blink through silicon chips: Researchers have tried for years to use light to carry data because it's much faster and efficient than current interconnections used in telecommunications and computers. Now, engineers at the University of Texas at Austin have designed a chip made of silicon 'photonic crystals'. This chip acts as a silicon modulator...; Tags: chip, modulator; Blog posts 2006-01-29

Gel changing color in a second: MIT researchers have developed gels which can change colors almost instantaneously when they're exposed to a variety of stimuli, such as temperature, pressure or humidity. These gels could be used to design inexpensive sensors. For example, these gel-based sensors could be useful in a food processing plant to 'indicate whether...; Tags: Gel, Roland Piquepaille; Blog posts 2007-10-25
Polymer opal films are not for rings: British and German researchers have developed a new type of flexible plastic film. These 'polymer opal films' can change colors under certain conditions. For example, they could easily help you to see if some kind of perishable food items are not good anymore because the packaging would change color. They...; Tags: Science &, Nature, Nanotechnology, Engineering &, Innovation; Blog posts 2007-07-28

Faster lasers for telecommunications: Current solid-state laser technologies have become vital components in telecommunications and networking equipment, but are reaching limits in speed and efficiency. But now, researchers at Stanford University have developed a new laser technology which wastes less energy than today's lasers and is faster, able to operate at rates exceeding 100...; Tags: laser; Blog posts 2005-11-21
The world's first single photon machine: Nanotechnologists at the University of Southern California USC are building a device dubbed the Einstein Emitter which will deliver a single photon produced by a single electron. At the same time, other researchers at the University of Texas/Austin are developing the detector for this single photon. Together, they are assembling...; Tags: Einstein, USC, electron; Blog posts 2005-09-24

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