Phys.org May 15, 2024 Integration of functional materials and structures on the tips of optical fibers has enabled various applications in micro-optics. 3D printing technology holds promise for fabricating advanced micro-optical structures on fiber tips. Material selection has been limited to organic polymer-based photoresists because existing methods for 3D direct laser writing of inorganic materials involve high-temperature processing that is not compatible with optical fibers. Researchers in Sweden demonstrated 3D direct laser writing of inorganic glass with a subwavelength resolution on optical fiber tips. They showed two distinct printing modes that enabled the printing of solid silica glass structures “Uniform […]
Tag Archives: Sensor technology
Writing with light on titania: Rewritable UV-sensitive surfaces made from doped TiO2 nanocrystals
Phys.org May 30, 2022 Nanocrystalline TiO2, a semiconductor, darkens when irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) light due to charge separation and reduction of titanium atoms. The color change is not permanent because oxygen in the air re-oxidizes the titanium and causes a return to transparency. To sustain the color change for a longer period researchers at UC Riverside used nitrogen as a dopant and decorated the crystals with a common non-toxic substance diethylene glycol which played a crucial role in the color change. Using light-writing methods they produced patterns or printed text by illuminating the paper or glass substrate through a […]
New device can diagnose Covid-19 from saliva samples
MIT News August 6, 2021 A team of researchers in the US (Harvard University, MIT, Boston Children’s Hospital, Beth Israel Deconus Hospital, Mass General Hospital) has developed a low-cost, self-contained, POC diagnostic called miSHERLOCK (minimally instrumented SHERLOCK) that is capable of concurrent universal detection of SARS-CoV-2 as well as specific detection of the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, or P.1 variants. The miSHERLOCK platform integrates an optimized one-pot SHERLOCK reaction with an RNA paper-capture method compatible with in situ nucleic acid amplification and Cas detection. miSHERLOCK combines instrument-free, built-in sample preparation from saliva, room temperature stable reagents, battery-powered incubation, and simple visual and […]