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Unlocking New Levels of Accuracy With Advanced Timing Chips

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Thursday, April 25, 2024

NIST researchers test a chip for converting light into microwave signals. Pictured is the chip, which is the fluorescent panel that looks like two tiny vinyl records. The gold box to the left of the chip is the semiconductor laser that emits light to the chip. Credit: K. Palubicki/NISTCompact chips enhance precision timing for communication, navigation, and various applications.The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and its collaborators have delivered a small but mighty advancement in timing technology: compact chips that seamlessly convert light into microwaves. This chip could improve GPS, the quality of phone and internet connections, the accuracy of radar and sensing systems, and other technologies that rely on high-precision timing and communication.This technology reduces something known as timing jitter, which is small, random changes in the timing of microwave signals. Similar to when a musician is trying to keep a steady beat in music, the timing of these signals can sometimes waver a bit. The researchers have reduced these timing wavers to a very small fraction of a second — 15 femtoseconds to be exact, a big improvement over traditional microwave sources — making the signals much more stable and precise in ways that could increase radar sensitivity, the accuracy of analog-to-digital converters and the clarity of astronomical images captured by groups of telescopes.The team’s results were published in Nature. Shining a Light on MicrowavesWhat sets this demonstration apart is the compact design of the components that produce these signals. For the first time, researchers have taken what was once a tabletop-size system and shrunken much of it into a compact chip, about the same size as a digital camera memory card. Reducing timing jitter on a small scale reduces power usage and makes it more usable in everyday devices.Right now, several of the components for this technology are located outside of the chip, as researchers test their effectiveness. The ultimate goal of this project is to integrate all the different parts, such as lasers, modulators, detectors, and optical amplifiers, onto a single chip.By integrating all the components onto a single chip, the team could reduce both the size and power consumption of the system. This means it could be easily incorporated into small devices without requiring lots of energy and specialized training.“The current technology takes several labs and many Ph.D.s to make microwave signals happen,” said Frank Quinlan, NIST physical scientist. “A lot of what this research is about is how we utilize the advantages of optical signals by shrinking the size of components and making everything more accessible.”To accomplish this, researchers use a semiconductor laser, which acts as a very steady flashlight. They direct the light from the laser into a tiny mirror box called a reference cavity, which is like a miniature room where light bounces around. Inside this cavity, some light frequencies are matched to the size of the cavity so that the peaks and valleys of the light waves fit perfectly between the walls. This causes the light to build up power in those frequencies, which is used to keep the laser’s frequency stable. The stable light is then converted into microwaves using a device called a frequency comb, which changes high-frequency light into lower-pitched microwave signals. These precise microwaves are crucial for technologies like navigation systems, communication networks, and radar because they provide accurate timing and synchronization.“The goal is to make all these parts work together effectively on a single platform, which would greatly reduce the loss of signals and remove the need for extra technology,” said Quinlan. “Phase one of this project was to show that all these individual pieces work together. Phase two is putting them together on the chip.”In navigation systems such as GPS, the precise timing of signals is essential for determining location. In communication networks, such as mobile phone and internet systems, accurate timing and synchronization of multiple signals ensure that data is transmitted and received correctly.For example, synchronizing signals is important for busy cell networks to handle multiple phone calls. This precise alignment of signals in time enables the cell network to organize and manage the transmission and reception of data from multiple devices, like your cellphone. This ensures that multiple phone calls can be carried over the network simultaneously without experiencing significant delays or drops.In radar, which is used for detecting objects like airplanes and weather patterns, precise timing is crucial for accurately measuring how long it takes for signals to bounce back.“There are all sorts of applications for this technology. For instance, astronomers who are imaging distant astronomical objects, like black holes, need really low-noise signals and clock synchronization,” said Quinlan. “And this project helps get those low noise signals out of the lab, and into the hands of radar technicians, of astronomers, of environmental scientists, of all these different fields, to increase their sensitivity and ability to measure new things.”Working Together Toward a Shared GoalCreating this type of technological advancement is not done alone. Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, the University of California Santa Barbara, the University of Virginia, and Yale University came together to accomplish this shared goal: to revolutionize how we harness light and microwaves for practical applications.“I like to compare our research to a construction project. There’s a lot of moving parts, and you need to make sure everyone is coordinated so the plumber and electrician are showing up at the right time in the project,” said Quinlan. “We all work together really well to keep things moving forward.”This collaborative effort underscores the importance of interdisciplinary research in driving technological progress, Quinlan said.Reference: “Photonic chip-based low-noise microwave oscillator” by Igor Kudelin, William Groman, Qing-Xin Ji, Joel Guo, Megan L. Kelleher, Dahyeon Lee, Takuma Nakamura, Charles A. McLemore, Pedram Shirmohammadi, Samin Hanifi, Haotian Cheng, Naijun Jin, Lue Wu, Samuel Halladay, Yizhi Luo, Zhaowei Dai, Warren Jin, Junwu Bai, Yifan Liu, Wei Zhang, Chao Xiang, Lin Chang, Vladimir Iltchenko, Owen Miller, Andrey Matsko, Steven M. Bowers, Peter T. Rakich, Joe C. Campbell, John E. Bowers, Kerry J. Vahala, Franklyn Quinlan and Scott A. Diddams, 6 March 2024, Nature.DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07058-z

Compact chips enhance precision timing for communication, navigation, and various applications. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and its collaborators have delivered a...

Chip for Converting Light Into Microwave Signals

NIST researchers test a chip for converting light into microwave signals. Pictured is the chip, which is the fluorescent panel that looks like two tiny vinyl records. The gold box to the left of the chip is the semiconductor laser that emits light to the chip. Credit: K. Palubicki/NIST

Compact chips enhance precision timing for communication, navigation, and various applications.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and its collaborators have delivered a small but mighty advancement in timing technology: compact chips that seamlessly convert light into microwaves. This chip could improve GPS, the quality of phone and internet connections, the accuracy of radar and sensing systems, and other technologies that rely on high-precision timing and communication.

This technology reduces something known as timing jitter, which is small, random changes in the timing of microwave signals. Similar to when a musician is trying to keep a steady beat in music, the timing of these signals can sometimes waver a bit. The researchers have reduced these timing wavers to a very small fraction of a second — 15 femtoseconds to be exact, a big improvement over traditional microwave sources — making the signals much more stable and precise in ways that could increase radar sensitivity, the accuracy of analog-to-digital converters and the clarity of astronomical images captured by groups of telescopes.

The team’s results were published in Nature.

Shining a Light on Microwaves

What sets this demonstration apart is the compact design of the components that produce these signals. For the first time, researchers have taken what was once a tabletop-size system and shrunken much of it into a compact chip, about the same size as a digital camera memory card. Reducing timing jitter on a small scale reduces power usage and makes it more usable in everyday devices.

Right now, several of the components for this technology are located outside of the chip, as researchers test their effectiveness. The ultimate goal of this project is to integrate all the different parts, such as lasers, modulators, detectors, and optical amplifiers, onto a single chip.

By integrating all the components onto a single chip, the team could reduce both the size and power consumption of the system. This means it could be easily incorporated into small devices without requiring lots of energy and specialized training.

“The current technology takes several labs and many Ph.D.s to make microwave signals happen,” said Frank Quinlan, NIST physical scientist. “A lot of what this research is about is how we utilize the advantages of optical signals by shrinking the size of components and making everything more accessible.”

To accomplish this, researchers use a semiconductor laser, which acts as a very steady flashlight. They direct the light from the laser into a tiny mirror box called a reference cavity, which is like a miniature room where light bounces around. Inside this cavity, some light frequencies are matched to the size of the cavity so that the peaks and valleys of the light waves fit perfectly between the walls. This causes the light to build up power in those frequencies, which is used to keep the laser’s frequency stable. The stable light is then converted into microwaves using a device called a frequency comb, which changes high-frequency light into lower-pitched microwave signals. These precise microwaves are crucial for technologies like navigation systems, communication networks, and radar because they provide accurate timing and synchronization.

“The goal is to make all these parts work together effectively on a single platform, which would greatly reduce the loss of signals and remove the need for extra technology,” said Quinlan. “Phase one of this project was to show that all these individual pieces work together. Phase two is putting them together on the chip.”

In navigation systems such as GPS, the precise timing of signals is essential for determining location. In communication networks, such as mobile phone and internet systems, accurate timing and synchronization of multiple signals ensure that data is transmitted and received correctly.

For example, synchronizing signals is important for busy cell networks to handle multiple phone calls. This precise alignment of signals in time enables the cell network to organize and manage the transmission and reception of data from multiple devices, like your cellphone. This ensures that multiple phone calls can be carried over the network simultaneously without experiencing significant delays or drops.

In radar, which is used for detecting objects like airplanes and weather patterns, precise timing is crucial for accurately measuring how long it takes for signals to bounce back.

“There are all sorts of applications for this technology. For instance, astronomers who are imaging distant astronomical objects, like black holes, need really low-noise signals and clock synchronization,” said Quinlan. “And this project helps get those low noise signals out of the lab, and into the hands of radar technicians, of astronomers, of environmental scientists, of all these different fields, to increase their sensitivity and ability to measure new things.”

Working Together Toward a Shared Goal

Creating this type of technological advancement is not done alone. Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, the University of California Santa Barbara, the University of Virginia, and Yale University came together to accomplish this shared goal: to revolutionize how we harness light and microwaves for practical applications.

“I like to compare our research to a construction project. There’s a lot of moving parts, and you need to make sure everyone is coordinated so the plumber and electrician are showing up at the right time in the project,” said Quinlan. “We all work together really well to keep things moving forward.”

This collaborative effort underscores the importance of interdisciplinary research in driving technological progress, Quinlan said.

Reference: “Photonic chip-based low-noise microwave oscillator” by Igor Kudelin, William Groman, Qing-Xin Ji, Joel Guo, Megan L. Kelleher, Dahyeon Lee, Takuma Nakamura, Charles A. McLemore, Pedram Shirmohammadi, Samin Hanifi, Haotian Cheng, Naijun Jin, Lue Wu, Samuel Halladay, Yizhi Luo, Zhaowei Dai, Warren Jin, Junwu Bai, Yifan Liu, Wei Zhang, Chao Xiang, Lin Chang, Vladimir Iltchenko, Owen Miller, Andrey Matsko, Steven M. Bowers, Peter T. Rakich, Joe C. Campbell, John E. Bowers, Kerry J. Vahala, Franklyn Quinlan and Scott A. Diddams, 6 March 2024, Nature.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07058-z

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Today’s regulations for nuclear reactors are unprepared for how the field is evolving. PhD student Liam Hines wants to ensure that policy keeps up with the technology.

Liam Hines ’22 didn't move to Sarasota, Florida, until high school, but he’s a Floridian through and through. He jokes that he’s even got a floral shirt, what he calls a “Florida formal,” for every occasion.Which is why it broke his heart when toxic red algae used to devastate the Sunshine State’s coastline, including at his favorite beach, Caspersen. The outbreak made headline news during his high school years, with the blooms destroying marine wildlife and adversely impacting the state’s tourism-driven economy.In Florida, Hines says, environmental awareness is pretty high because everyday citizens are being directly impacted by climate change. After all, it’s hard not to worry when beautiful white sand beaches are covered in dead fish. 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Rachel Feltman: Twenty-three years ago, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and turned Manhattan’s iconic World Trade Center into Ground Zero. Most of you probably remember seeing footage and photos of the long, complicated process of looking for victims in the smoldering debris. But you might not realize that for forensic scientists, that work is far from finished even today.For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. I’m joined today by Kathleen Corrado, the forensics executive director at Syracuse University College of Arts & Sciences. She’s here to tell us how the staggering scale of 9/11’s mass casualty event presented forensic scientists with new challenges—and how the lessons they learned are helping them identify wildfire victims, suspected criminals and the many remaining casualties of 9/11 itself.Thank you so much for joining us today.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.Kathleen Corrado: My pleasure.Feltman: So broadly speaking, what kind of impact did 9/11 have on the forensic science community?Corrado: Well, the event that happened in 9/11 in the World Trade Center was basically the first time that DNA analysis was used to identify victims on such a large scale. So while there were about 2,700 victims or so, due to the fire, the explosion, the building collapse, there were a lot of very small samples. A lot of the bodies were degraded.... Really that’s the first time that we really had to think about: How do we deal with this many samples, this many people?Feltman: Mm.Corrado: We had to, you know, look at how we store the samples, how we track the samples. We had to think about software in terms of inventorying the samples, in terms of analyzing the DNA. We had to automate. And then again, with the samples being so degraded, it really affected the way that we process the samples.Feltman: Tell me more about some of those, you know, unique forensic challenges.Corrado: Right, so when we have natural disasters—whether it’s a fire, a flood—or something more accidental, like a plane crash, or a terrorist event, like a bombing, typically the way that bodies are identified are by different methods such as fingerprints and dental records and physical attributes, like tattoos, or if there’s some kind of a medical device, like if someone has a pacemaker or an artificial knee or hip, they have serial numbers on ’em.So that’s the typical way that bodies are identified. But in this instance, in 9/11, because of the jet fuel, there was a really large amount of fire, the building collapsed, a lot of the bodies were really, really degraded and compromised. And so that left us with a lot of really small fragments of bone and other items that you really couldn’t use any other identification method other than DNA.So one of the challenges, first off, was to basically determine what was bone, what wasn’t bone. And if it was bone, was it human bone? And the second challenge is: How do we get the DNA out of such a compromised sample?Feltman: Well, and I think that’s a great segue into talking about the new technologies that emerged. What are we doing differently now because of what forensic scientists learned after 9/11?Corrado: Right, so a lot of the samples were degraded, and so we had to come up with new ways of extracting the DNA: so basically taking the DNA out of the cell and then processing it. There also was—just due to the large volume of samples, everything was done manually, and it took quite a long time. It could take weeks or months to get through the process. And so we basically had automatic robotics that we could put in to process the samples. So those are some of the innovations that came out of that.In addition, one of the other things that we had to think about was the reference samples. So when you have bodies that we’re trying to identify, there’s two different ways we can identify them. One would be with what we call antemortem samples, which is when we’re taking a direct sample from the victim and comparing it: something like a toothbrush or a razor or earbuds—something like that that might have the victim’s DNA on it that we can do a direct comparison.And then a second type of comparison that we would do is where we compare the victim’s DNA to relatives. And so that would be first-degree relatives—we’re looking for parents, children, sometimes siblings. So basically there were a lot of challenges in 9/11 with just, you know, determining: How do you get the message out to these families that we need these samples? How do we tell them which family members we need to collect and what samples we need to collect?You know, when 9/11 happened, after 9/11 happened, it really was a wake-up call, saying: We need to have policies and procedures for this type of mass disaster. You know, we need to know who’s in charge, who’s collecting the samples, who’s gonna be the voice speaking to the families.There’s a lot of new policies and procedures in place that we have now so we know how to do this: we know how to put the message out and how to make sure that we’re getting the right samples.Feltman: Yeah. Can we talk a little bit more about the technological leaps that have happened? You know, I think some of our, our listeners might not know what the process of DNA extraction looked like in 2000 and what it looks like now, so I would love to get a little bit of an overview.Corrado: Yeah, so—absolutely. One of the biggest changes that’s happened is what we call the rapid DNA instruments—basically [they’re] a game changer. So [a] rapid DNA instrument, how it’s different is: previously what would happen is the samples would have to be collected at the site, they’d have to be shipped to the laboratory, and then the laboratory would manually process the samples—so they’d have to extract the DNA, and then take that DNA and generate a DNA profile, and then do the interpretation. And that could take weeks or months.Feltman: Mm.Corrado: With rapid DNA instruments now, all of those processes are done inside the instrument, so it’s one step. So you take the sample, whether that’s a swab of blood or perhaps a sample from bone that we can extract, we put it into the instrument, it does all of those processes within the instrument, and it does it in about 90 minutes ...Feltman: Wow.Corrado: Which truly is a game changer. So something that would take weeks or months before, we now can do quite quickly.Other benefits are, [two], that these instruments can be placed directly at the site. So we don’t have to send the samples to a lab; we can set up a makeshift lab, put these instruments right in the area where the disaster occurred and process the samples right there.And then the third reason why they’re very helpful is that we don’t need a DNA analyst—we don’t need an expert to run these samples. So as before, every sample had to be run by a DNA expert in the lab and interpreted by a DNA expert, these results are spit out in 90 minutes, and you don’t need to be a DNA expert to run it to get the results.And ... these types of instruments were used in the 2018 Camp Fire in California. So I think there were about 100 victims of that fire, and I think something close to, like, 80 percent of those samples were ID’d through DNA, which is really high. So prior to that it was—usually it was about 20 percent of samples were—we would use DNA to identify.Now we can use it not only just for the samples of the victims but also the family reference samples. So even before, all those family reference samples had to go to a lab. Now they can all be processed on-site in these instruments.And I believe it was also used in the Maui wildfires, and also it’s used in things like the war in Ukraine—I mean, these instruments have a lot of other uses besides mass disaster victim identification.Feltman: Yeah, well, and tell me more about the policies that emerged and changed because of 9/11. You mentioned that it was really a wake-up call in terms of needing systems in place. What are some of those systems?Corrado: Well, we have to make sure that we have a good policy in terms of what samples to collect, how those samples are stored, what will happen to those samples after they’re used and the data after they’re used. We also have to make sure that we have a single point person that can go ahead and give the information out to the public as well as to the families. We have to have safety. You know, we have to worry about hazards—biohazards. So all of those policies are in place.Additionally, with the reference samples, something that’s really important now is the informed consent. So we wanna make sure that the relatives that are giving their samples know what it is that they’re giving, know why they’re giving it and also they know what’s gonna happen to that sample and to that data afterwards—you know, is it gonna go into a database, or is it gonna be destroyed? So there’s informed consent now, which is really important in terms of protecting people’s privacy.Feltman: So are there any new technologies that actually emerged from the 9/11 investigation specifically?Corrado: Well, specifically from the 9/11 investigation there were new technologies in terms of how to analyze degraded samples. And particularly when we have these samples, they’re very small fragments of DNA, and previous to 9/11 we really weren’t able to get data from such small samples. And so after 9/11 and continuously we’ve been able to improve the extraction technologies for small samples.There’s also a new technology called next-generation sequencing that’s at the forefront right now. That technology will allow us to analyze samples that are even smaller. So when the DNA is broken up into small, small pieces, this technology will allow us to analyze even smaller samples, and then it allows us to build them together into a bigger, contiguous DNA profile or sequence, and that will allow us to have more sensitivity, so we’ll be able to analyze samples that are even smaller. And that technology is starting to be used even to identify more of the remains from 9/11 because only about 60 percent of the victims have been identified from the 9/11 event.Feltman: Wow. And outside of the 9/11 investigations, you know, how is that technology changing forensic science?Corrado: In the criminal justice system, similar to things like mass disasters, where we have degradation of samples, we have a lot of samples in crime scenes that are exposed to environmental conditions. There’s old samples, cold cases where there’s not a lot of DNA left. So all of these technologies that allow us to generate a DNA profile from a very small sample or a very degraded sample have really made leaps and bounds in terms of us being able to identify perpetrators of crimes.Another technology that's out there that I think is being used in criminal and in identification is SNPs, single nucleotide polymorphisms, and, in particular, that’s using externally visible characteristics, or EVCs. So, say we have a victim of a mass disaster that no one’s really looking for them—they don’t have family members that are looking for ’em, or there are no family reference samples ...Feltman: Mm-hmm.Corrado: What we can do with externally visible characteristics is: it can give us clues about the person’s eye color, their hair color, if they had freckles, their skin tone and their biogeographical ancestry. So if we don’t have something to compare to, we might be able to get information as to how this person looked—you know, what their external characteristics were—that might help us identify them.Feltman: And I assume that’s quite useful in forensic science for lots of other kinds of investigations, too.Corrado: It can be. It’s relatively new. And quite honestly it’s a little controversial because it’s not clear that we should be using externally visible characteristics to identify suspects, but there are companies out there that offer that service.Feltman: Sure, yeah, no, I can, I can see the potential issues in, in using it for suspect identification specifically.Well, are there any challenges related to mass casualty events that forensic scientists are still figuring out how to tackle?Corrado: Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, when it comes down to the mass disasters, certainly the environment still plays a huge effect. So, you know, like I said, if we have a fire, that can cause degradation. But also if we think about something like a flood—like think about the tsunami in 2004 in South Asia.First there was this flood, so all of the bodies were submerged underwater, and then they were scattered in such a large area, and it was really hot there; the sun’s beating down on these bodies. And so all of that causes the remains to degrade, and unfortunately there were so many victims in that mass disaster that they couldn’t collect everything quickly enough. And so in that instance the temperature and the heat really affected the ability to use DNA. So in those instances they really had to rely more on other types of mechanisms to identify a body, such as odontology or dental records or fingerprints. So in, in that instance I think DNA was used in very small numbers of the identifications.And secondly, I think another challenge that we faced in 9/11 that still happens to this day is getting the message out to the family members and collecting reference samples.So you can imagine—let’s use Maui as an example—it’s a little bit difficult when people are faced with all of these really traumatic experiences to say, “Hey, by the way, we need to collect a DNA sample from you.”In addition to that, there are sometimes a lot of reluctance for families to give a reference sample. There’s somewhat of a distrust of the government, and particularly in Maui, again, there’s some cultural issues to that. A lot of Indigenous people there had some concerns. They had issues in the past where the government was collecting their DNA to determine, you know, who had rights to land and things like that. So they had a lot of distrust. And so it’s hard to think about: How are we going to explain to these families why it’s so important for them to give their DNA samples if they want to identify their loved one?Another challenge that we still have, again, that we had in 9/11, we have in all of these situations is: no matter how good our identification methods are, whether it’s DNA or dental records or fingerprints, we still have to identify the remains. So it’s still gonna take the very first person, the anthropologist coming in, sifting through all the debris, saying, “Yeah, that’s a bone. No, it’s not a bone. Yeah, that’s human. No, it’s not human.” It’s a time-comprehensive process. So that’s sort of a limiting factor. So we still have to think about: Are there ways that we could perhaps move that part of the process a little bit faster?Feltman: Hmm, well, and just going back to something you mentioned earlier: you know, the fact that so many of the victims of 9/11 have not yet been identified. Could you tell me more about how that process is going?Corrado: Yes, so that project is still being worked [on] by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York City. So they have staff that are dedicated to that project. They have committed to identifying every one of those last remains if they can. And so they continue to analyze those, and basically they’re doing work in terms of: What are the new technologies out there?So we’ve talked about the new extraction technologies. They also use different types of DNA: they don’t just use nuclear DNA; they use mitochondrial DNA, which is another type of DNA that’s found in cells in higher copy numbers. So oftentimes in very degraded samples or in bone, there’s more mitochondrial DNA left than there is nuclear DNA. So that’s another process that they can use.And again they’re looking at this new technology called next-generation sequencing, which is a very different process than we currently use. And this is where we’re sequencing the base pairs of DNA, and next-generation sequencing has a promise of—it’s a lot more sensitive because it—we’re able to sequence a lot smaller fragments, and we can sequence the smaller fragments and then put them together into one larger fragment to read the sample and generate information. And so as this technology progresses, the labs are picking up this technology, validating it and using it in the hopes of identifying more of those remains.Feltman: Thank you so much for coming on. This was really fascinating.Corrado: Well, thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it. And it was my pleasure.Feltman: That’s all for today’s episode. Tune in on Friday for something very special: a chat with an astronaut—from actual space—about how his time on the ISS is helping him take his photography hobby to new heights.In the meantime, do us a favor and leave us a quick rating or review or comment or whatever your podcast platform of choice lets you do to tell them that you like us. You can also send us any questions or comments you have at ScienceQuickly@sciam.com.Science Quickly is produced by me, Rachel Feltman, along with Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Madison Goldberg and Jeff DelViscio. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check our show. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Subscribe to Scientific American for more up-to-date and in-depth science news.For Scientific American, this is Rachel Feltman. See you next time!

Technology
Government
Science

UCLA Unveils Breakthrough 3D Imaging Technology to Peer Inside Objects

All-optical multiplane quantitative phase imaging design eliminates the need for digital phase recovery algorithms. UCLA researchers have introduced a breakthrough in 3D quantitative phase imaging...

Artistic depiction of a wavelength-multiplexed diffractive optical processor for 3D quantitative phase imaging. Credit: Ozcan Lab @ UCLAAll-optical multiplane quantitative phase imaging design eliminates the need for digital phase recovery algorithms.UCLA researchers have introduced a breakthrough in 3D quantitative phase imaging that utilizes a wavelength-multiplexed diffractive optical processor to enhance imaging efficiency and speed. This method enables label-free, high-resolution imaging across multiple planes and has significant potential applications in biomedical diagnostics, material characterization, and environmental analysis.Introduction to Quantitative Phase ImagingLight waves, as they propagate through a medium, experience a temporal delay. This delay can unveil crucial information about the underlying structural and compositional characteristics. Quantitative Phase Imaging (QPI) is a cutting-edge optical technique that reveals variations in optical path length as light moves through biological samples, materials, and other transparent structures. Unlike traditional imaging methods that rely on staining or labeling, QPI allows researchers to visualize and quantify phase variations by generating high-contrast images that enable noninvasive investigations crucial to fields such as biology, materials science, and engineering. A recent study reported on July 25 in Advanced Photonics introduces a cutting-edge approach to 3D QPI using a wavelength-multiplexed diffractive optical processor. The innovative approach, developed by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), offers an effective solution to a bottleneck posed by traditional 3D QPI methods, which can be time-consuming and computationally intensive.UCLA researchers report a new method for quantitative phase imaging of a 3D phase-only object using a wavelength-multiplexed diffractive optical processor. Utilizing multiple spatially engineered diffractive layers trained through deep learning, this diffractive processor can optically transform the phase distributions of multiple 2D objects at various axial positions into intensity patterns, each encoded at a unique wavelength channel. These wavelength-multiplexed patterns are projected onto a single field-of-view (FOV) at the output plane of the diffractive processor, enabling the capture of quantitative phase distributions of input objects located at different axial planes using an intensity-only image sensor – eliminating the need for digital phase recovery algorithms. Credit: C. Shen et al., doi 10.1117/1.AP.6.5.056003.The UCLA Innovation in Optical ProcessingThe UCLA team developed a wavelength-multiplexed diffractive optical processor capable of all-optically transforming phase distributions of multiple 2D objects at various axial positions into intensity patterns, each encoded at a unique wavelength channel. The design allows for the capture of quantitative phase images of input objects located at different axial planes using an intensity-only image sensor, eliminating the need for digital phase recovery algorithms.“We are excited about the potential of this new approach for biomedical imaging and sensing,” said Aydogan Ozcan, lead researcher and Chancellor’s Professor at UCLA. “Our wavelength-multiplexed diffractive optical processor offers a novel solution for high-resolution, label-free imaging of transparent specimens, which could greatly benefit biomedical microscopy, sensing, and diagnostics applications.”Multiplane Imaging and Its ApplicationsThe innovative multiplane QPI design incorporates wavelength multiplexing and passive diffractive optical elements that are collectively optimized using deep learning. By performing phase-to-intensity transformations that are spectrally multiplexed, this design enables rapid quantitative phase imaging of specimens across multiple axial planes. This system’s compactness and all-optical phase recovery capability make it a competitive analog alternative to traditional digital QPI methods.A proof-of-concept experiment validated the approach, showcasing successful imaging of distinct phase objects at different axial positions in the terahertz spectrum. The scalable nature of the design also allows adaptation to different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, including the visible and IR bands, using appropriate nano-fabrication methods, paving the way for new phase imaging solutions integrated with focal plane arrays or image sensor arrays for efficient on-chip imaging and sensing devices.Implications for Science and TechnologyThis research has significant implications for various fields, including biomedical imaging, sensing, materials science, and environmental analysis. By providing a faster, more efficient method for 3D QPI, this technology can enhance the diagnosis and study of diseases, the characterization of materials, and the monitoring of environmental samples, among other applications.Reference: “Multiplane quantitative phase imaging using a wavelength-multiplexed diffractive optical processor” by Che-Yung Shen, Jingxi Li, Yuhang Li, Tianyi Gan, Langxing Bai, Mona Jarrahi and Aydogan Ozcan, 25 July 2024, Advanced Photonics.DOI: 10.1117/1.AP.6.5.056003

Technology
Nature
Science

Want to buy an electric car but unsure you can justify it? Here’s how the arguments against EVs stack up

You’ve probably heard the arguments against electric cars, but most of them are getting weaker as the technology, markets and infrastructure mature.

So you’re thinking of buying an electric car. Perhaps you want to save money on fuel, or reduce your greenhouse gas emissions, or both. After all, for Australia to reach net zero it needs to electrify vehicles (and expand public transport use). But you’ve heard arguments against electric cars: they have limited range and many owners can’t easily charge at home. They cost too much, resale values are poor and insurance costs are higher than for other cars. They’re also heavier and cause more damage to our roads. Alarmingly, the mining of some minerals used to make them involves modern-day slavery. Are these concerns warranted? Let’s walk through them. Driving range In 2014, an electric vehicle’s top driving range was between 160 and 210 kilometres. Today, most new models can travel 300–600km under real-world conditions. In Australia, the average privately owned car travels 12,100km a year. That’s about 33.2km a day. Current models have more than enough battery capacity to cover most trips. Access to chargers What about longer trips? Many drivers still worry about finding a public charger. It’s common to see long queues at public charging stations (when they are working) or owners searching for a charger. Public charging infrastructure is struggling to keep up with rising demand. While not an issue for short trips (90% of owners charge at home or work), it’s a challenge for longer travel. Private home chargers are getting cheaper but not everyone has off-street parking. Some resort to the legally questionable strategy of running power cables over sidewalks or through trees. Apartment block residents typically have requests to install private chargers rejected for safety reasons (mainly fire risks). Many also can’t install solar panels, which would greatly reduce charging costs. Purchase costs While electric vehicles cost more than petrol or diesel vehicles today, this won’t be true in future. In 2023, the average price of a new petrol car in Australia was A$40,916, compared to $117,785 for battery electric vehicles. But the problem with averages is they’re skewed by outliers. And there are lots of very expensive outliers on the electric vehicle market. You can own a Porsche Taycon Turbo S for $374,000, or a Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 for $327,000. Three models account for about 70% of electric vehicle sales in Australia: the Telsa Model Y (from $60,900), Tesla Model 3 (from $58,900) and the BYD Atto 3 (from $48,011). The Model 3 entered our market in 2019 at $66,000, so it’s clear prices are dropping, and dropping fast. You can buy the GWM ORA or MG4 Excite MY23 for $39,990. Prices becoming cheaper is common for most new technology. It’s just we notice it more with electric vehicles because they cost more than most technology we buy, including phones and TVs. Secondhand value Concerns about resale value may be justified. In the year to January 2024, the value of used electric vehicles fell 21%, which was more than for fossil fuel vehicles. A higher initial price does not necessarily carry over to the second-hand market. Early adopters valued EV technology, but most buyers have different priorities. As the technology improves and misconceptions fade, resale values could rebound. Insurance costs Insurance costs are also higher than for other vehicles – typically around 20% more. The vehicles generally cost more to buy in the first place and newer technology is more costly to produce and replace. The supply chain for parts is still developing, with fewer trained technicians and service centres to maintain these vehicles. As the market grows and service infrastructure improves, insurance costs should fall. Access to charging and service infrastructure will improve as electric vehicles become mainstream. Darunrat Wongsuvan/Shutterstock Environmental damage? One recent study suggests electric vehicles are actually more environmentally damaging than petrol and diesel vehicles. They are typically heavier, resulting in more tyre wear and heavier braking. As this produces small particulate matter with a diameter of 10 microns (PM10) or less (a typical human hair is 50–70 microns wide), the suggestion is electric vehicles will produce more of it. But such studies often compare particulate emissions from EVs to tailpipe emissions from their fossil fuel counterparts. They ignore the latter’s tyre and braking concerns, which means comparing apples to oranges. More scientific studies suggest electric vehicles, particularly smaller ones, produce less PM10 from non-exhaust sources than their non-electric equivalents. Slavery in the supply chain Unfortunately, the modern-day slavery concern is very real. Electric vehicle batteries require cobalt. About 70% of the world’s supply comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo. About 20% of this mining activity involves small, informal, subsistence mines with little or no mechanisation and often using child labour. The minerals from such mines are scattered throughout the world’s supply chains. Those who raise slavery concerns against electric vehicles are usually silent on other affected products such as phones and laptops. Much more must be done to reduce these concerns about battery supply chains. The good outweighs the bad On balance, you’re justified in buying an electric vehicle, assuming you want one. Overall operating costs are far lower than for other vehicles. Public charger issues affect a small percentage of trips. While prices are dropping quickly, this doesn’t mean the bottom is falling out of the market. Price reductions simply represent greater supply of cheaper electric vehicles. Previous market-leading manufacturers can no longer charge hefty premiums for their products. And demand isn’t decreasing. The share of electric vehicles on the road continues to increase. Further, the technology is evolving. Trials of vehicle-to-grid charging, where vehicles return power to the grid or directly to a person’s house, have been taking place across Australia. This ability to power your house will help reduce energy bills, saving owners even more money. Aside from justifiable concerns about human rights abuses, most of the perceived barriers to EV uptake aren’t really barriers at all, or soon won’t be. The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Technology
Energy
Pollution

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Forests
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