Latest news with #PhysicalReviewLetters
Time of India
3 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
China develops laser telescope that can see objects as wide as a matchstick head from over a kilometre away
Chinese researchers have developed a laser system that can detect tiny text and fine details from a distance of 1.36 kilometres, a new study published in Physical Review Letters has revealed. The team from the University of Science and Technology of China tested a laser-based method that achieved a 14-fold improvement in resolution compared to traditional optical imaging using a single telescope. New method focuses on light patterns, not image clarity Instead of focusing directly on capturing an image, the team used a technique called active intensity interferometry. This method is based on how light interacts with a surface rather than what the object looks like. Unlike traditional telescopes that rely on self-luminous sources like stars, this system can detect non-luminous objects. Infrared lasers and dual telescopes power the system According to Science Alert, the system emits eight infrared laser beams across a specific point. Two telescopes capture the intensity of the reflected light. By comparing the signals from the telescopes and calibrating the laser beams, researchers were able to reconstruct an image of the target. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trekking pants for mountain sports and adventure travel Trek Kit India Shop Now Undo "Through outdoor experiments, we have successfully imaged millimetre-scale targets located at 1.36 km away, achieving a resolution enhancement by about 14 times over the diffraction limit of a single telescope," the study authors wrote. Letters smaller than a pencil width made visible from far away The team reported that the system could accurately read letters at a resolution of 3 millimetres, which is smaller than the width of a standard pencil. They said this marked a significant increase in spatial resolution, well beyond what a single telescope could achieve under normal conditions. Live Events MORE STORIES FOR YOU ✕ « Back to recommendation stories I don't want to see these stories because They are not relevant to me They disrupt the reading flow Others SUBMIT Practical uses and current limitations The researchers said the method has potential for high-resolution imaging and optical sensing . However, they also pointed out limitations. The system needs a direct line of sight and requires active illumination using lasers. This may not be suitable for stealth operations like covert surveillance. Future improvements under consideration The team plans to enhance laser control to allow easier targeting. They also aim to include artificial intelligence (AI) to help reconstruct images more accurately in the future.
NDTV
4 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
China Develops Laser Tech That Can Read Tiny Text From Nearly 2km Away
Scientists in China say they have developed a laser that can observe tiny text and other fine details at a higher resolution from a distance of 1.36 kilometres. In a study published in the journal Physical Review Letters, researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China tested a new laser-based system that they say can pick up small details from nearly a mile away. The researchers took a new approach based on the way light hits a surface, rather than focusing on the image itself. This method is called active intensity interferometry. The Chinese scientists demonstrated that the method could be used to detect objects that, unlike stars, are not self-luminous. According to Science Alert, the researcher tested an instrument that emits eight infrared laser beams fired across a specific point in the distance. Two telescopes were then used to capture the intensity of the light reflections. Through a careful calibration of the eight laser beams lighting up the target, the image can be reconstructed by comparing variations between the readings from the two telescopes, researchers explained. "Through outdoor experiments, we have successfully imaged millimetre-scale targets located at 1.36 km away, achieving a resolution enhancement by about 14 times over the diffraction limit of a single telescope," the study authors wrote. The researchers believe this method is "promising for high-resolution optical imaging and sensing". The Chinese scientists revealed that through their setup, they were able to accurately read letters at a resolution of 3mm, smaller than the width of a pencil. That's a 14-fold improvement in spatial resolution compared to what a single telescope could achieve, they said. However, the researchers noted that there are still a few limitations they have to overcome - for example, it needs a clear line of sight to the object. The target must be illuminated with lasers, so it may not be suitable for surveillance scenarios where stealth is required. The team said that they have plans to improve the control of the laser as well, so that they are easier to direct. Moreover, the researchers may install artificial intelligence (AI), which could help reconstruct images more accurately.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
A Magnet Floating in a Superconductive Chamber Could Change Physics Forever
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Dark matter is thought to make up a little over a quarter of the universe, but it has never actually been detected. Researchers repurposed an experiment originally intended to detect gravity, which involved a floating magnet in a superconductive trap, predicting that gravity exerted by dark matter would interact with the magnet. The experiment is now being upgraded from a gravity detector to a dark matter detector, so expect version 2.0 soon. What we think of as 'the unknown' isn't always some hypothetical wormhole or alternate dimension. A lot of times, the 'unknown' is something real, but whose existence is impossible to prove even with the most advanced technology. We're talking about dark matter, which remains infamously elusive. From huge, hypersensitive underground detectors to the search for bizarre signatures in comic rays, it seems we have tried everything within our current capacity to directly observe even one particle of dark matter. But we do know a few things about this mystery matter—namely, that it exerts gravity, and therefore (supposedly) has mass. When gravitational forces exerted by bodies in space are beyond what is expected, dark matter is the explanation (but never the evidence). Maybe, however, dark matter could make its presence known another way. Astroparticle physicist Christopher Tunnell, of Rice University in Houston, saw an alternative method of detecting ultralight dark matter by repurposing what was originally a precise method of measuring gravity. This method uses a magnet floating in a chamber made of superconductive material. When cooled enough to transition to a state in which they can conduct electricity without resistance, superconductors expel magnetic fields and therefore repel magnets. This explains why a magnet in the middle of a superconductive trap will float right in the middle. It is being repelled in every direction, and there is nowhere else it can possibly go. Tunnell and his research team predicted that dark matter could be detected this way because of its quantum nature, meaning that it is thought to behave as both a particle and a wave. Dark matter can only interact with baryonic (normal) matter through gravity. If any dark matter came close to the levitating magnet—whether it behaved like a particle meandering around or a wave flowing through—the force of gravity it exerted should give the magnet an almost negligible shake. A quantum device known as a SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) was used to detect any shifting of magnetic fields that would happen if gravity from an unseen source interacted with the magnet. 'We detect the motion of the particle using a superconducting pick-up loop at the top of the trap,' Tunnell said in a study recently published in Physical Review Letters. 'The motion of the magnet induces a change in flux in the loop, causing a superconducting current to run in the circuit.' Spoiler alert: dark matter has not been detected with this method so far. But it has potential. Tunnell plans to update the experiment and optimize it specifically for detecting dark matter instead of gravity. Some of the changes that could make it more sensitive include maximizing sensitivity to mass while reducing noise, using a heavier magnet, reducing vibrations in the trap, and upgrading the SQUID so it can more accurately detect changes in the magnetic field. This new proposed experiment will be named POLONAISE, after a Polish dance Tunnell and a colleague were doing to keep warm at an outdoor climate protest. 'Our result highlights the promise of this quantum sensing technology in the hunt for dark matter,' he said. 'We hope that it fuels initiatives in advancing experimental designs of magnetically levitated setups for astroparticle physics.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Scottish Sun
26-05-2025
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Terrifying ‘spy' laser that can read text smaller than a grain of rice from a mile away unveiled by China
The target must be illuminated with lasers, so it may not be suitable for surveillance scenarios where stealth is required SUPER VISION Terrifying 'spy' laser that can read text smaller than a grain of rice from a mile away unveiled by China Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SCIENTISTS in China claim they have developed a laser that can read millimetre-sized text from nearly a mile away. That's smaller than a grain of rice. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Observing fine details from long distances with telescopes and high-power lenses brings its challenges Credit: L.-C. Liu et al. 2 The laser system reconstructing 1mm-sized letters (right) located far away Credit: L.-C. Liu et al. The researchers say the new laser-based system can pick up small details from 1.36km away (0.85miles) that standard telescopes and binoculars would miss. A typical telescope-based system at the same distance would only capture shapes around 42milimetres in size, researchers wrote in their study, published in the journal Physical Review Letters. That is far too large to make out small writing. Observing fine details from long distances with telescopes and high-power lenses brings its challenges. Current long-distance reading systems require precise alignment of lasers and telescopes, making it tricky to pick out small features. Distortion from the air can blur and scatter light over long distances, which can warp the view. However, researchers took a new approach by on the way light hits a surface, rather than focusing on the image itself. This method is called active intensity interferometry. 'Through outdoor experiments, we have successfully imaged millimeter-scale targets located at 1.36km away," the study authors wrote. "Achieving a resolution enhancement by about 14 times over the diffraction limit of a single telescope." China & Russia will use drones 'the size of insects' to spy on UK & commit untraceable murders, ex-Google futurist warns The researchers believe this method is 'promising for high-resolution optical imaging and sensing'. Although, it also has a few limitations to overcome - for example, it needs a clear line of sight to the object. The target must be illuminated with lasers, so it may not be suitable for surveillance scenarios where stealth is required. Instead, the laser could be used by archaeologists to examine ancient carvings on cliffs without climbing them, and help environmental researchers monitor distant wildlife habitats. The team has plans to improve the control of the laser, so they are easier to direct. The researchers may also install artificial intelligence (AI), which could help reconstruct images more accurately.
The Sun
26-05-2025
- Science
- The Sun
Terrifying ‘spy' laser that can read text smaller than a grain of rice from a mile away unveiled by China
SCIENTISTS in China claim they have developed a laser that can read millimetre-sized text from nearly a mile away. That's smaller than a grain of rice. 2 2 The researchers say the new laser-based system can pick up small details from 1.36km away (0.85miles) that standard telescopes and binoculars would miss. A typical telescope-based system at the same distance would only capture shapes around 42milimetres in size, researchers wrote in their study, published in the journal Physical Review Letters. That is far too large to make out small writing. Observing fine details from long distances with telescopes and high-power lenses brings its challenges. Current long-distance reading systems require precise alignment of lasers and telescopes, making it tricky to pick out small features. Distortion from the air can blur and scatter light over long distances, which can warp the view. However, researchers took a new approach by on the way light hits a surface, rather than focusing on the image itself. This method is called active intensity interferometry. 'Through outdoor experiments, we have successfully imaged millimeter-scale targets located at 1.36km away," the study authors wrote. "Achieving a resolution enhancement by about 14 times over the diffraction limit of a single telescope." China & Russia will use drones 'the size of insects' to spy on UK & commit untraceable murders, ex-Google futurist warns The researchers believe this method is 'promising for high-resolution optical imaging and sensing'. Although, it also has a few limitations to overcome - for example, it needs a clear line of sight to the object. The target must be illuminated with lasers, so it may not be suitable for surveillance scenarios where stealth is required. Instead, the laser could be used by archaeologists to examine ancient carvings on cliffs without climbing them, and help environmental researchers monitor distant wildlife habitats. The team has plans to improve the control of the laser, so they are easier to direct. The researchers may also install artificial intelligence (AI), which could help reconstruct images more accurately. Artificial Intelligence explained Here's what you need to know Artificial intelligence, also known as AI, is a type of computer software Typically, a computer will do what you tell it to do But artificial intelligence simulates the human mind, and can make its own deductions, inferences or decisions A simple computer might let you set an alarm to wake you up But an AI system might scan your emails, work out that you've got a meeting tomorrow, and then set an alarm and plan a journey for you AI tech is often 'trained' – which means it observes something (potentially even a human) then learns about a task over time For instance, an AI system can be fed thousands of photos of human faces, then generate photos of human faces all on its own Some experts have raised concerns that humans will eventually lose control of super-intelligent AI But the tech world is still divided over whether or not AI tech will eventually kill us all in a Terminator-style apocalypse
