Semiconductors, which are the basic building blocks of transistors, microprocessors, lasers, and LEDs, have driven advances in computing, memory, communications, and lighting technologies since the mid-20th century. Recently discovered two-dimensional materials, which feature many superlative properties, have the potential to advance these technologies, but creating 2-D devices with both good electrical contacts and stable performance […]
Engineers Build Smallest Integrated Kerr Frequency Comb Generator
Optical frequency combs can enable ultrafast processes in physics, biology, and chemistry, as well as improve communication and navigation, medical testing, and security. The Nobel Prize in Physics 2005 was awarded to the developers of laser-based precision spectroscopy, including the optical frequency comb technique, and microresonator combs have become an intense focus of research over […]
Revolutionary Ultra-Thin ‘Meta-Lens’ Enables Full-Color Imaging
Light of different colors travels at different speeds in different materials and structures. This is why we see white light split into its constituent colors after refracting through a prism, a phenomenon called dispersion. An ordinary lens cannot focus light of different colors to a single spot due to dispersion. This means different colors are […]
Looking Inside The Lithium Battery’s Black Box
Lithium metal batteries hold tremendous promise for next-generation energy storage because the lithium metal negative electrode has 10 times more theoretical specific capacity than the graphite electrode used in commercial Li-ion batteries. It also has the most negative electrode potential among materials for lithium batteries, making it a perfect negative electrode. However, lithium is one […]
Researchers Mimic Comet Moth’s Silk Fibers To Make “Air-Conditioned” Fabric
Fabrics made from silkworm fibers have long been treasured for their beautiful luster and refreshing coolness. Columbia Engineering researchers have discovered that fibers produced by the caterpillars of a wild silk moth, the Madagascar comet moth (Argema mittrei), are far superior in terms of brilliance and cooling ability. Not only do the comet moth’s cocoon fibers have […]
First Dynamic Spine Brace — Robotic Spine Exoskeleton — Characterizes Spine Deformities
Spine deformities, such as idiopathic scoliosis and kyphosis (also known as “hunchback”), are characterized by an abnormal curvature in the spine. The children with these spinal deformities are typically advised to wear a brace that fits around the torso and hips to correct the abnormal curve. Bracing has been shown to prevent progression of the […]
For Blind Gamers, Equal Access To Racing Video Games
The RAD, an audio-based interface that can easily be integrated into existing video games, enables people who are visually impaired to play video games with the same speed and control as sighted players, with full 3D graphics and complex, challenging racetracks New York, NY–March 6, 2018–Brian A. Smith, a PhD candidate in Computer Science at […]
Dual Frequency Comb Generated On A Single Chip Using A Single Laser
In a new paper published today in Science Advances, researchers under the direction of Columbia Engineering Professors Michal Lipson and Alexander Gaeta (Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics) have miniaturized dual-frequency combs by putting two frequency comb generators on a single millimeter-sized chip. “This is the first time a dual comb has been generated on a single […]
Dual Frequency Comb Generated on a Single Chip Using a Single Laser
In a new paper published today in Science Advances, researchers under the direction of Columbia Engineering Professors Michal Lipson and Alexander Gaeta (Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics) have miniaturized dual-frequency combs by putting two frequency comb generators on a single millimeter-sized chip. “This is the first time a dual comb has been generated on a single […]
Columbia Engineers Win $4.7M DARPA Grant To Revolutionize Augmented Reality Glasses
Imagine driving along the highway with directions and other pertinent information (think gas stations) appearing “on” your glasses so you don’t have to look away from the road. Or building a complicated DIY project with step-by-step instructions appearing “on” your glasses. Or being a first-responder unsure which way to go, receiving information from central headquarters […]