A multilayer stack containing a thin film of temperature-sensitive vanadium dioxide creates tunable structural colours on rigid and flexible surfaces
Read article: Phase-changing material generates vivid tunable colours
Pillar-studded surface just hundreds of nanometres thick allows researchers to control direction, polarization and phase of thermal radiation
Read article: Metasurface makes thermal sources emit laser-like light
Silicon-based device is less prone to hacking, designers say
Read article: Photonic metastructure does vector–matrix multiplication
Distinctive iridescent patina comes from an unusual hierarchically assembled structure with highly ordered nanoscale domains
Read article: Photonic crystals formed over time in ancient Roman glass
Applications like gas sensing, medical and astronomical imaging and even quantum technologies could benefit
Read article: Tiny vibrating cavity sees mid-infrared light at room temperature
Tip-enhanced nanospectroscopy reveals quasiparticle standing waves
Read article: Surface plasmon polaritons launched by nano-emitters are imaged in the near field
A nanomaterial reflector overlies the eye pigments in certain larval crustaceans, allowing the creatures to appear completely transparent
Read article: Photonic nanospheres help baby shellfish hide from predators
New research could help in the development of optical chip architectures that consume less energy than their electrical counterparts
Read article: ‘World’s smallest photon’ confined in dielectric nanocavity
New upconverted nanoparticles could have applications in optoelectronics and secure multiplexed communication networks
Read article: Accidental discovery produces superfluorescent light at room temperature
Materials that switch from one phase to another when illuminated by light with different polarizations could enable parallel data storage, communications and computing
Read article: Polarization switch makes ultrafast photonic computer
