A new optical device allows researchers to generate and switch between two stable, donut-shaped light patterns called skyrmions. These light vortices hold their shape even when disturbed, making them ...

As technology advances, and the demand for faster, higher-bandwidth, and more energy-efficient data processing continues to ...

A nanoparticle ink that can print structural colour onto flat or 3D surfaces could be used to create anti-counterfeit images, ...

In 2026, smartwatches for teenagers are companions for health, safety, and light connectivity. But the real question is: what ...

A network of torons, self-organizing defects in liquid crystals whose internal structure enables the generation of laser light carrying orbital angular momentum. Credit: Marcin Muszyński, Faculty of ...

Optical vortices—light beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM)—are characterized by helical wavefronts and phase singularities. While they have been widely studied in recent decades, two ...

Light usually travels in straight lines, but what if it could twist, spiral, and behave like a miniature tornado? Scientists have now made this possible by creating optical tornadoes (also called ...

In brief: A group of researchers has demonstrated a compact optical device that switches between two distinct topological states of light, marking a key step toward terahertz communication systems ...

Researchers have created an optical device that can generate both electric and magnetic vortex-ring-like light patterns. These structured light vortices, known as skyrmions, are highly stable and ...

In a recent review article published in Photonics Research, researchers summarize advances in “twisted light” and “twisted matter,” and how structured light can probe, control, and help fabricate ...

Shaped quantum light is turning ordinary photons into powerful tools for the future of technology. A global group of scientists, including researchers from the UAB, has published a new review in ...