Technology Frontier

ZEISS Lightfield 4D system (Credit: ZEISS) Microscope technology is advancing rapidly, with major 2025–2026 launches focused on speed, automation, and AI assistance. A recent industry report highlights several key developments across leading manufacturers. Zeiss introduced Lightfield 4D for its LSM 910/990 confocal microscopes, enabling instant volumetric imaging at up to 80 volume stacks per second, […]

Photo: Unsplash 3D laser galvo systems are becoming a core technology for high-precision laser processing. Recent industry analysis highlights key innovations driving adoption: faster and more accurate mirror technology, smarter control systems, and tighter integration with laser sources and dynamic focusing modules. These advances enable rapid beam positioning and consistent accuracy across complex geometries, making

Photo: Unsplash Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are an emerging energy-harvesting technology that converts mechanical motion into electricity. A recent review in AIMS Materials Science highlights how laser surface processing can significantly enhance TENG performance by enabling fast, precise, and scalable surface patterning. The paper summarizes several laser-based approaches—laser-induced graphene (LIG), laser ablation, laser carbonization, and laser-induced

Top-down image of the on-chip phase-modulator devices taken with a microscope. (Credit: Andrew Leenheer / University of Colorado Boulder) Quantum computing researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have developed a revolutionary new device that could significantly accelerate the development of large-scale quantum computers. This breakthrough, published in Nature Communications, introduces an optical phase modulator