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Argonne welcomes Chicagoland mayors to campus for meeting and tours of user facilities
Argonne hosted the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus for its quarterly meeting, where dozens of Chicagoland leaders learned about the lab’s work in super intelligence and resilience planning and toured the Advanced Photon Source and Aurora supercomputer.
Advance Could Lead to Bigger, More Reliable Quantum Computers, University of Edinburgh Scientists Say
Researchers developed an algorithm that allows standard computers to simulate photonic quantum devices.
Daldrop Opens for Business in Southern Oswego County
$10 Million Facility in the L. Michael Treadwell Oswego County Industrial Park marks the largest expansion outside of Germany in the company’s 73-year history By Stefan Yablonski [caption id=attachment_11076 align=alignright width=450] Daldrop SBB CEO Jens Daldrop addresses attendees at the 2025 groundbreaking for the project. Daldrop also chairs the advisory board of Germany-based Daldrop Group.[/caption] A new era of cleanroom technology is underway in Central New York. The Daldrop Group’s advanced manufacturing facility and U.S. headquarters is physically built within the L. Michael Treadwell Oswego County Industrial Park. This industrial park is located in the town of Schroeppel. It marks the largest expansion outside of Germany in the company’s 73-year history. Daldrop SBB is based in Neckartailfingen, Germany. It is a global supplier of cleanroom technology, primarily to the pharmaceutical industry. It designs and builds advanced cleanroom environments for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical technology industries. It nvested $10 million in the new project. “We broke ground in 2025; we were under construction all winter. We just opened this spring, early spring,” said Benjamin Morrow, operations manager and control. The company consolidated sites in Salina and DeWitt into the industrial park in Schroeppel, Morrow added. “The next move here is to maximize every square inch of this facility and then we are already looking at the expansion. So, it is more capital investment on equipment — definitely higher-end automation in additional equipment so we can produce more components and then to support the ever-growing base in North America,” Morrow continued. “We are the headquarters for service, maintenance and spare parts. So as Daldrop has more and more installations, they need more and more service, maintenance and spare parts. So that will come out of this facility as well — it already is.” “As a global leader in GMP (global manufacturing support) pharmaceutical cleanrooms for decades, I am very proud to bring manufacturing jobs to Upstate New York,” said Mike Sullivan, president of Daldrop US operations. Key to choosing Southern Oswego County [caption id=attachment_11077 align=alignright width=450] Daldrop SBB at the L. Michael Treadwell Oswego County Industrial Park when the company announced the start of construction.[/caption] Sullivan said that the selection of the Schroeppel industrial park was mainly due to the help of Operation Oswego County and two people in the organization. “Prior to being purchased by Daldrop International from the Stuttgart region of Germany, Vince Bongio was a founding partner in SBB Inc. as well as our head of engineering. We based out of Syracuse due to Vince’s skills in HVAC and the manufacturing capabilities found in Syracuse,” said Sullivan. Bongio moved to Syracuse from California in the 1970s to work in Carrier’s Industrial Division of Large-Scale Petrochemical Refrigeration. Next, he advanced to General Electric’s TV Tube Plant where he got into cleanrooms ,leading to his role of head of engineering for Clestra Cleanrooms where he met Sullivan, their New England distributor. “Vince Bongio is a phenomenal engineer. Formerly of Carrier, he grew up in California and went to Cal Poly,” Sullivan explained. “Carrier hired him right out of college and he moved to Syracuse. He is the reason we are in Syracuse today. He is retiring this year. We are very proud and his legacy is having brought Daldrop to Syracuse.” In 2000, Sullivan, Bazinet, Bongio Inc (SBB) was formed with engineering and manufacturing, based in Syracuse, and sales and construction based in Massachusetts as it is today. “SBB Inc. started in Syracuse. I had a design–build contracting firm out of Massachusetts that was primarily doing all the new technologies coming out of MIT,” Sullivan said. “I started a manufacturing side. A big thing for cleanrooms is the HVAC. Most cleanroom suppliers are architecturally focused people. The strength in Syracuse is HVAC. So, SBB developed with me running sales and construction out of Massachusetts and manufacturing out of Syracuse.” “Daldrop wanted to have a relationship in the States and of those who approached us, they were the only ones who really understood HVAC. So, we were the right fit for them. We did a joint venture focused out of Massachusetts from 2012 to 2018 leveraging their technologies,” Sullivan explained. “The commitment was if we brought their product to the States, we would do that if they built it here. “The pieces that had to be in place to make the investment, they wanted to acquire us, we were great with that. If you looked at business recommendations the general guidance was to build in a low labor area — something like North Carolina — but Syracuse had a strong background in HVAC and we chose Syracuse and Oswego County to be our headquarters in the States. So, it is built off of history, technology and the existing supply chain — bringing jobs back to the area.” During the initial discussions with Daldrop about coming to the U.S., SBB agreed to sell under the conditions Daldrop would manufacture in the U.S. There are many areas that offer incentives and economic packages, but the strength of HVAC expertise and skilled manufacturing was a big part of the discussions for site selection. Coming home [caption id=attachment_11078 align=alignright width=451] Construction moves forward in March at the L. Michael Treadwell Oswego County Industrial Park.[/caption] The second key person to building in Oswego County is Ben Morrow, Sullivan added. “Ben has been working with Daldrop SBB for more than 12 years and has advanced to COO of manufacturing and engineering. Ben grew up in Phoenix, so building a factory for the Germany company in Phoenix is a strong success for both his community and the appreciation of Ben’s skills as a team leader,” Sullivan said. “I went to high school in Phoenix. So, this is like full circle for me. It’s a small world,” Morrow said. “I hadn’t been back to Phoenix since graduation. This is one of the properties that John Trimble of C&S, he is the former president of C&S, he just retired, suggested. He and I were very good personal friends. John was from Mexico and I was from Phoenix. We knew each other from high school. And the architect of this building, Ed Smart of smartDESIGN Architecture in Batavia — I went to high school with him. So, this was a project that’s full circle a coming home kind of thing. The three of us knew each other — kind of like it was meant to be. Very serendipitous.” Schroeppel was one option for Daldrop to consider; the original intent was just to get a warehouse to store some product, he added. The facility is Daldrop’s largest outside of their native country. Total payroll at the facility will be approximately $2.4 million once fully staffed. “Here is 32,000 square feet and we plan to expand and put in an additional 10,000 square feet,” Morrow said. “We have 17.5 acres. We can put at least three more facilities here, just on this property. The master plan submitted for the current building is the first of possible three buildings on the campus.” “If we can find the right people and advance the production according to the plan, we should be able to grow for the next decade. One of the first jobs we filled was our new HR manager, with a primary focus posting and filling new positions,” Sullivan said. Stop the exodus, start hiring [caption id=attachment_11080 align=alignright width=452] Principals at the local Daldrop SBB headquarters, from left: Ben Morrow, Mike Sullivan and Jens Daldrop.[/caption] “I have been coming to Syracuse for 30 years. One of the things I had a hard time watching was the exodus of factories. One of the toughest things is to watch it with my partners’ kids who had to move away for jobs. It is important for us to give opportunity where people’s kids don’t have to leave the area to get work,” Sullivan said. “My responsibility is to find people who have skill sets that want to work and then I have to build opportunity for that work to happen. “After years of watching companies and Vince’s three sons all move out of the areas to get jobs, it is important to us to provide opportunities for the Syracuse region and help grow our company. We have been hiring for our new factory and will continue for the next few years.” “We are hiring and will continue to hire. Currently we have about 19 on staff right now,” Morrow said. “We expect to grow that by about 10 to 15 in the next 12 to 18 months or so. We are at 19 currently — one in the wings. It’s been great being able to hire locally. All these folks that we’ve been hiring, they all live within a few miles from here.” “We hired someone this past week (end of August). She grew up in the area, raised a family and is working down in Florida. She just took a job with us so she can move back and be with her family. We will be moving her back and she should be starting in October. We are very happy to see this happen,” Sullivan said. “I feel strongly about having a spot for the kids to not have to move out of the area. It is better to have people moving into the area.” Currently, Daldrop SBB has openings for finance manager, COO of construction and delivery, as well as mechanical, electrical designers and Revit modelers, construction managers, commissioning agents and many other skills that are needed. Along with Daldrop’s reputation in life science cleanrooms, there is a strong history in semiconductor, electronics, glass, photonics, aerospace and other markets. This may be helpful with any new technologies building in the market such as the Micron expansion and the support network, Sullivan said. “We acquired this property and closed on it two months before any announcement from Micron. It is serendipitous that they’re right down the street from us,” Morrow added. “Everybody started thinking ‘you guys are supporting Micron.’ We were here first. That is not a goal of ours. We may or may not … they are talking to us; it is an opportunity.” The long run [caption id=attachment_11079 align=alignright width=450] Benjamin Morrow, operations manager and control at Daldlrop, speaks during a recent ribbon-cutting event in Schroeppel.[/caption] “Long term, we will expand the Phoenix facility,” Sullivan said. “We built our facility with a campus approach. Sustainability is big. We designed our rooms to be more sustainable. Our building has no gas lines for heat. We put geothermal wells in the ground. We put heat pumps in for heating and cooling out of those wells and we put a large layer of solar panels up on the roof. We worked with National Grid for metering. Our building is a high efficiency model. We upgraded all the instillation and the glass filtering. So, it is a very green building. We will have a very minimal carbon footprint. It also adheres to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) construction standards.” “We are a bunch of HVAC engineers. We did a large scale geothermal and spent the money up front because we knew it made sense in the business sense in the environmental sense and sustainability,” Morrow said. “We have insulated metal panels on walls and roof; we are an envelope from the exterior.” Daldrop, as a global player, has a strong culture of sustainability that is found in all its products including the new facility. The building has been designed with (sixteen) 400-foot deep geothermal wells, high efficiency construction methods, approximately 70 kilowatt solar photovoltaic panels, electric vehicle chargers and 26% recycled content. “Daldrop thinks of long-term investing,” Sullivan said. “On the roof, photovoltaic panels supplement our power. Over half the energy that I use is coming from the sun. We have chargers up front for employee electric vehicles. This place is built to last. This slab that we are walking on, normal buildings are four inches, some go to six inches, we are nine inches all the way through — except where the heavy equipment is — that is 10 to 12 inches thick, solid concrete. It allows us to reconfigure for whatever type of equipment we want to bring in,” Morrow said. “We are authorized by Underwriters Laboratory to self-certify so we don’t need to have an inspector come out and recertify. We get audited often, but we certify our own electronics. The control system in this building is rather high-end. Our thermostat in every room is zoned, independent. We analyze the data; incorporate it with our solar panels.” “There is a lot of competition for people to work. It’s not just about how much salary they are going to make — it’s about the work environment, the ability for stability. We want to make sure our employees have the best environment to work in,” Morrow added. Similarities “One of the reasons I believe why Daldrop chose this area, Phoenix in particular, is because it is a village, a river-based village. Neckartailfingen in Germany where Daldrop is based is also a river-based village, manufacturing community. So, there is a lot of similarities — that smalltown feel,” Morrow said. “We have a lot of connections through multiple employees that lead back to Carrier, also. Everything came together, the timing everything.” “We are thankful for all the economic development support. Everyone has been helping make this happen. So, keep it up, it is working, that is all I got to say, Sullivan said. “If you look at historical industrial manufacturing, this region has skills that have been un-utilized. The northern industrial region has a lot of skills that if we can tap before they go away, we can leverage them. That is what we are trying to do. You’d be surprised at the supply chain left behind from Carrier — that supply chain is still there.” “Operation Oswego County has been fantastic,” Morrow added. “I can’t say enough good things about that group.” What Is Cleanroom Technology Cleanroom technology is a system of specialized engineering, filtration and operational controls used to maintain an extremely low concentration of airborne particles, microbes and chemical vapors. How It Works • Air Filtration: Uses HEPA or ULPA filters to remove 99.97% of tiny particles down to 0.3 microns. • Airflow Control: Directs air in a steady, unidirectional (laminar) or filtered turbulent pattern to push dust away from work areas. • Environmental Regulation: Maintains precise control over temperature, humidity and positive air pressure to block outside air leaks. • Specialized Attire: Requires personnel to wear full-body garments (“bunny suits”), gloves and masks to stop human shedding
Photon Health; Healthcare Highways Announce Data Security Incidents
Data breaches have been announced by the New York-based healthcare technology company Photon Health, the Texas-based medical provider network company Data breaches have been announced by the New York-based healthcare technology company Photon Health, the Texas-based medical provider network company Healthcare Highways, and the New York-based home health agency Any-Time Home Care.
OSCP Raises Series A Led By New Science Ventures To Scale Photonic IMUs
OSCP closed a Series A financing led by New Science Ventures to scale production of its ITAR-free photonic gyroscopes and inertial measurement units. Emerging Ventures and 2050 Capital also participated in the round.
Governor Gianforte Highlights Montana Quantum, Photonics Partnerships at Indian Institute of Science
BENGALURU, India – Continuing Montana’s trade mission to India, Governor Greg Gianforte today visited the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru to strengthen ties between higher education, Montana’s quantum and photonics ecosystem, and India’s research community.
Photonic circuits become trainable AI hardware
Nature Computational Science - A physics-based in situ learning method is demonstrated that directly measures optical gradients with photonic integrated circuits, allowing diverse circuit...
Argonne Uses AI Agents to Get Closer to Self-Driving Microscopes
Scientists often wait months to get their hands on some of the world’s most powerful research instruments, such as state-of-the-art microscopes. At facilities like Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Photon Source, these machines allow researchers to use extremely bright X-rays to study materials at microscopic scales. Once they get access to such instruments, every hour counts. […]
Robotics Company Advanced Navigation Expands Navigation Technology Manufacturing To Huntsville
It also applies to navigation.
Scientists generate identical photons at the push of a button
Researchers from different universities have teamed to generate photon pairs that are 90 percent identical, helping advance quantum communications.
Sapphire discovery could reshape future brain-inspired electronics
Using X-ray beams from Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source, researchers discovered that a substrate beneath a vanadium dioxide film is not just a passive host. Data reveal mutual interactions that could shape future low-power, brain-inspired computing.
Quantum teleportation breakthrough: Scientists crack a 25-year entanglement challenge
Scientists have developed and experimentally demonstrated a long-sought method for identifying W states, an important form of multi-photon quantum entanglement. The technique could make complex entangled systems much easier to measure, opening new possibilities for quantum teleportation, communication, and computing.
NSF Award Supports UAlbany Researcher’s Mission to Make Quantum Accessible
Walid Redjem talks quantum photonics and why he's as invested in helping people understand quantum science as he is in advancing it.
Haoye Qin: Turning disorder into an advantage in nanophotonics
A 2026 Nanophotonics Early Career Awardee, Qin is harnessing topology and engineered disorder to develop compact optical technologies.
Caltech’s tiny new chip can steer light in 74 quadrillionths of a second
A new Caltech device can redirect a beam of light in just 74 femtoseconds using another beam and a nanoscale silicon metasurface. The breakthrough could pave the way for dramatically faster photonic communications, computing, and sensing technologies.
Photon therapy system added to Atlantic Health CentraState Medical Center cancer care services
The TrueBeam photon therapy system is now available at the Statesir Cancer Center inside the Atlantic Health CentraState Medical Center.
Litavis: World's first spad sensor with on-chip processing
Singular Photonics has launched Litavis, a SPAD image sensor that combines photon counting, timing and histogramming with on-chip processing.
A photon from the biggest cosmic explosion since the Big Bang appears to have defied Einstein. Scientists may finally know how
"We started from a very simple question: how did this photon survive a journey that, according to known physics, should have destroyed it?"
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Paystand branches into AI agents; court hearing for former Scotts Valley executive; Barilla snaps up Goodles
In this week's survey of local business, Jessica M. Pasko reports on the rollout of a new AI tool for Santa Cruz-based fintech company Paystand, notes a court date for a former executive of Scotts Valley's Ambient Photonics and runs down other numbers, names and dates to know.
This cosmic particle was never meant to reach Earth. Now, scientists think they finally know why it did
In 2022, researchers detected a very odd photon from an enormous gamma ray burst that should have been destroyed on its way to Earth
SkyWater Launches Quantum Semiconductor Manufacturing Business
SkyWater launched a dedicated quantum semiconductor business offering superconducting, photonics, and integration capabilities for customers.
Marvell's AI Business Is Booming. Photonics Could Be Next
Data-center revenue jumped 46% as Marvell positions itself for a shift from copper connections toward faster optical technology.
A search for one exotic particle uncovered two strange new structures
A search for one mysterious particle unexpectedly revealed evidence for two different structures that may belong to the bizarre family of exotic subatomic particles known as XYZ states. The findings could help physicists uncover new ways that quarks and gluons combine to create matter.
A “quantum bath” puts quantum entanglement on autopilot
Physicists have demonstrated a new way to entangle distant quantum bits without the constant measurements and active control normally required. The team created a “quantum bath,” a shared environment filled with correlated microwave photons that automatically pushes separated qubits into an entangled state and helps keep them there. The experiment confirms a theoretical prediction made more than 20 years ago and could offer a simpler way to connect modules in future quantum computers.
Laser-wielding mosquito killer hits market promising to track and zap backyard pests midair
Photon Matrix says its laser mosquito zapper uses lidar, radar and AI vision to detect and eliminate mosquitoes midair, but the device costs nearly $1,000.
Electrically activated quasi-BICs in metasurfaces through atomically thin semiconductors
Light: Science & Applications - Electrically tunable nanophotonic device based on the integration of resonant dielectric metasurfaces supporting quasi bound states in the continuum with...
Giant anomalous exciton-multiphoton nonlinearities in layered hybrid perovskites
Light: Science & Applications - Giant anomalous exciton-multiphoton nonlinearities in layered hybrid perovskites
This frozen fiber makes light and sound interact 1,000x more strongly
Freezing the liquid core of an optical fiber produced an extreme environment where light and sound interact more than 1,000 times more strongly than in ordinary fibers. Researchers used the effect to create optoacoustic memory, potentially paving the way for lower-energy photonic computers and advanced quantum technologies.
Behind the Science: Why Photon-Counting CT Changes Coronary Calcium Imaging
Discover the socio-demographic impacts on cardiovascular mortality in our JACC webinar. Join experts as they share insights and strategies for better heart health.
Caltech breakthrough brings fiber-optic performance to silicon chips
Caltech scientists have created ultra-low-loss optical pathways on silicon chips that approach the efficiency of fiber optics and dramatically outperform existing technology at visible wavelengths. The breakthrough could unlock more powerful lasers, miniature atomic sensors and clocks, quantum systems, and more energy-efficient data centers.
Early-universe plasma may have stopped dark photons from heating cosmos
A new paper published in Physical Review Letters reveals that a leading dark matter candidate—the hypothetical "dark photon"—would not have heated the early universe as previously thought. The finding ...
A taste of discovery: Real-time X-ray data analysis with DONUT accelerates materials science at Argonne
Argonne’s DONUT, a machine learning tool, delivers real-time X-ray data analysis at the Advanced Photon Source, giving scientists faster insights into material structures and accelerating discovery in advanced materials research.
Sunlight creates quantum entanglement once thought to require lasers
Scientists have generated quantum entanglement directly from sunlight, potentially offering a lower-energy alternative to the lasers normally used in quantum technology. Their outdoor experiment produced entangled photons with about 94% similarity to an ideal state. The result could pave the way for simpler quantum satellites, secure communications, and more energy-efficient quantum computing.
Scientists Tried to Cut a Photon in Half—and Broke the Rules of Physics
New research shows that cutting a single particle of light spawns photons all the way to infinity.
What happens when you try to chop a photon in half?
A mirror that moves mid-photon could release a shower of new photons.
Integrated photonic polarization synthesizer and analyzer
Light: Science & Applications - A single photonic integrated circuit enables both generation and analysis of arbitrary optical polarization states using a polarization-splitting grating coupler...
Tunable resonant metasurfaces enabled by atomically thin semiconductors
Light: Science & Applications - Voltage-tunable hybrid metasurfaces integrating 2D transition metal dichalcogenides with photonic bound states in the continuum enable dynamic control of...
Science news this week: Goblin shark filmed for first time, California close to a major quake, physicists split photon, and inside China's plans to 'tame nature'
June 20, 2026: Our weekly roundup of the latest science in the news, as well as a few fascinating articles to keep you entertained over the weekend.
New light-powered chip could accelerate AI and quantum computing
Scientists have created a tiny chip that can generate, steer, and read light-based information all in one device, marking a major leap toward ultra-fast, energy-efficient computing. The breakthrough uses atomically thin materials and nanoscale structures to control a unique quantum property of light called the “valley” degree of freedom, allowing information to be encoded in new ways.
Stanford quantum computing breakthrough uses twisted light to work without extreme cooling
A new room-temperature quantum device uses twisted light to entangle photons and electrons, overcoming one of the biggest hurdles in quantum technology. The breakthrough could pave the way for smaller, cheaper quantum systems with applications ranging from secure communications to future AI and computing platforms.
Scientists discover strange “narwhal” waves that trap light beyond known limits
Physicists at Peking University have uncovered a new way to confine light far beyond conventional limits — without relying on metals and their inherent energy dissipation. By formulating the singular dispersion equation, the team discovered narwhal-shaped wavefunctions that trap light at deep-subwavelength volumes in purely dielectric materials. The advance, dubbed singulonics, could pave the way for ultra-efficient photonic chips, new quantum technologies, and imaging tools with unprecedented resolution.
Physicists confirm 'negative time' is real by asking the atoms themselves
A new experiment confirms that photons passing through a cloud of atoms can spend a negative amount of time there, and the atoms themselves are the ones saying so.
Quantum ghost imaging works using only sunlight in stunning new experiment
Scientists have achieved something that once sounded almost impossible: using ordinary sunlight to create quantum-linked photon pairs, a phenomenon normally dependent on precise laboratory lasers. By building a sun-tracking system that funnels sunlight through optical fiber into a special crystal, researchers generated strongly correlated photons capable of performing “ghost imaging,” where images are reconstructed indirectly through quantum correlations. Remarkably, the sunlight-powered setup produced image quality close to that of a traditional laser system, even recreating detailed images like a “ghost face.”
Jiuzhang 4.0 computer marks leap in China-US quantum race
China’s new programmable photonic quantum computing prototype, Jiuzhang 4.0, completed a complex calculation in microseconds.
Quantum topology emerges at near field
Light: Science & Applications - Near-field nanophotonics platform with spin-orbital coupling enables single-photon skyrmions with robust topological structures for high-dimensional quantum...
A photon was teleported across 270 meters in stunning quantum breakthrough
Scientists have pulled off a first: teleporting a photon’s state between two separate quantum dots. This was done over a 270-meter open-air link, proving quantum information can travel between independent devices. The achievement marks a key step toward building quantum networks for ultra-secure communication. It also sets the stage for more advanced systems like quantum relays.
Making light spin with a gold nanorod
Controlling photon spin, or the handedness of light, is useful for storing and transmitting information. However, generating circularly polarized light typically requires complex or chiral structures. Researchers from the Tokyo University of Science show that hitting a gold nanorod slightly off-center with an electron beam causes the light around it to rotate. This method offers a simpler way to control photon spin and could accelerate the development of smaller, more efficient optical and quantum devices.
Gravitational waves may be hidden in the light atoms emit
Scientists have proposed a surprising new way to detect gravitational waves—by observing how they change the light emitted by atoms. These waves can subtly shift photon frequencies in different directions, leaving behind a detectable signature. The effect doesn’t change how much light atoms emit, which is why it’s gone unnoticed until now. If confirmed, this approach could lead to ultra-compact detectors using cold-atom systems.
Vitali Prakapenka of the University of Chicago receives the 2026 Gopal K. Shenoy Excellence in Beamline Science Award
Vitali Prakapenka of the University of Chicago is the recipient of the 2026 Gopal K. Shenoy Award for Excellence in Beamline Science for his decades of contributions to the GeoSoilEnviroCARS beamline at the Advanced Photon Source.
Scientists trap light in a layer 1,000x thinner than hair
Researchers have created a nanoscale structure that traps infrared light in a layer just 40 nanometers thick—over 1,000 times thinner than a human hair. By using a unique material with exceptional light-bending properties, they can confine and intensify light far beyond previous limits. This setup also dramatically boosts light conversion effects, turning infrared into visible blue light. The advance could pave the way for smaller, faster photonic technologies.
Assistant Beamline Scientist Grace Luo is facilitating next-generation science at the Advanced Photon Source
At Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source (APS), Grace Luo helps scientists understand atomic‑scale dynamics in functional devices to discover ways of creating more robust and efficient technologies.
A 200-year-old light trick just transformed quantum encryption
Scientists have unveiled a new approach to ultra-secure communication that could make quantum encryption simpler and more efficient than ever before. By harnessing a 19th-century optics phenomenon called the Talbot effect, researchers developed a system that sends information using multiple states of single photons instead of just two, dramatically boosting data capacity. Even more impressive, the setup works with standard components and requires only a single detector, reducing cost and complexity.
Stanford scientists create shape-shifting material that changes color and texture like an octopus
A new shape-shifting material can change both its texture and color in seconds, inspired by the camouflage abilities of octopuses. By precisely controlling how a polymer swells with water, researchers can create detailed, reversible patterns at the nanoscale. The material can even mimic realistic surfaces and dynamically adjust how it reflects light. In the future, AI could allow it to automatically blend into its surroundings.
Solar cells just did the “impossible” with this 130% breakthrough
A new solar breakthrough may overcome a long-standing efficiency barrier. Researchers used a “spin-flip” metal complex to capture and multiply energy from sunlight through singlet fission. The result reached about 130% efficiency, meaning more energy carriers were produced than photons absorbed. This could lead to much more powerful solar panels in the future.
FDA clears portable photon-counting CT scanner
The system is designed for point-of-care settings such as outpatient offices, sports medicine practices and urgent care clinics.
Scientists Trap Light in a Layer 1,000x Thinner Than a Hair
Scientists have found a way to trap light in an extremely thin layer, potentially reshaping how future photonic devices are built.
Quantum breakthrough: China’s double-photon device breaks efficiency ceiling
Chinese innovation can pave the way for sharper medical imaging, unbreakable encryption and next-gen sensors.
Libby water health advisory lifted
The Lincoln County Health Department announces the Libby water health advisory is now lifted.The announcement comes after city personnel completed the required
For the first time, light mimics a Nobel Prize quantum effect
Scientists have pulled off a feat long considered out of reach: getting light to mimic the famous quantum Hall effect. In their experiment, photons drift sideways in perfectly defined, quantized steps—just like electrons do in powerful magnetic fields. Because these steps depend only on nature’s fundamental constants, they could become a new gold standard for ultra-precise measurements. The discovery also hints at tougher, more reliable quantum photonic technologies.
Brilliance at Sector 6: Philip Ryan helps lead X-ray scattering for quantum science
Physicist Philip Ryan and his colleagues at Argonne National Laboratory utilize X-ray scattering and the upgraded Advanced Photon Source to shape the future of quantum science.
Quantum computers go high-dimensional with a four-state photon gate
The collaboration of TU Wien with research groups in China has resulted in a crucial building block for a new kind of quantum computer: The realization of a novel type of quantum logic gate makes it possible ...
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Scotts Valley solar cell company goes dark; passing the torch at Alta Organic Coffee
In her weekly look at Santa Cruz County business, Jessica M. Pasko reports on the demise of Ambient Photonics, notes a generational shift at a local coffee roaster and delivers names, numbers and events to know.
Less than a trillionth of a second: Ultrafast UV light could transform communications and imaging
Researchers have built a new platform that produces ultrashort UV-C laser pulses and detects them at room temperature using atom-thin materials. The light flashes last just femtoseconds and can be used to send encoded messages through open space. The system relies on efficient laser generation and highly responsive sensors that scale well for manufacturing. Together, these advances could accelerate the development of next-generation photonic technologies.
Quantum structured light could transform secure communication and computing
Scientists are learning to engineer light in rich, multidimensional ways that dramatically increase how much information a single photon can carry. This leap could make quantum communication more secure, quantum computers more efficient, and sensors far more sensitive. Recent advances have turned what was once an experimental curiosity into compact, chip-based technologies with real-world potential. Researchers say the field is hitting a turning point where impact may soon follow discovery.
Prof. Siying Peng: caterpillars to butterflies, chasing light in photonics
Light: Science & Applications - Prof. Siying Peng: caterpillars to butterflies, chasing light in photonics
Topological photonics for single-photon sources
Light: Science & Applications - Topological photonics for single-photon sources
Sarah Wieghold prepares for nanoscale science with big impact at the Advanced Photon Source
Collaboration and impact are two values that guide her work at the APS.