Metasurfaces are formed by engineering a glass surface with an array of microscopic features, or meta-atoms. Although different optical functionalities can be obtained by changing only the pattern, the resulting metasurfaces often lack the necessary efficiency for many applications. In this report, scientists from Corning and Harvard University collaborate to demonstrate an inverse-design method that optimizes efficiency while respecting fabrication constraints. These results represent a step forward in making practical metasurfaces for broader applications.

Groundbreaking material technology from the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology effectively prevents lithium dendrite growth, tackling the main cause of reduced lifespan in lithium-metal batteries. This innovative material, easily produced through a streamlined process, is set to become a game-changer for next-generation lithium rechargeable batteries.

Researchers from Princeton and MIT have found a way to intercept underwater messages from the air, overturning long held assumptions about the security of underwater transmissions. The team created a device that uses radar to eavesdrop on underwater acoustic signals by decoding the tiny vibrations those signals create on the water’s surface. The technique could also roughly identify the location of an underwater transmitter. In the paper, the researchers detail the technology and offer ways to guard against the attakcs it enables.

A research team has leveraged cutting-edge noninvasive phenotyping technologies to monitor plant stress across multiple vegetative organs.

A research team reveals how a low-cost imaging phenotyping system successfully uncovers the mechanisms of quantitative disease resistance (QDR) in wild tomato species.

Researchers have used artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse patient urine samples and predict when symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will flare up according to a study published today (Wednesday) in ERJ Open Research. This could make it possible to take steps, such as altering treatment, to minimise or even prevent a flare up.