Neurons, the cells in brains and spinal cords that make up the central nervous system, communicate by firing electrical pulses. But scientists have found hints that neurons may transmit light as well, ...

Materials get their optical properties based on how much they reflect, absorb or transmit different wavelengths (colors) of light. Usually optical coatings either reflect or transmit a given color of ...

The speed record for data transmission using a single light source and optical chip has been shattered. Engineers have transmitted data at a blistering rate of 1.84 petabits per second (Pbit/s), ...

Visible Light Communications (VLC), or Li-Fi, is a new optical wireless communications technology that promises spectacular amounts of new bandwidth for data transmissions. It uses visible light ...

A colorful display of plastic optical fibers Commercial optical fibers generally carry light that’s invisible to the eye. The colorful ones shown here transmit visible light, demonstrating how fiber ...

Short pulses from a laser can be twisted into a series of doughnut-like vortices, offering a way to transmit more information using light. We usually encounter vortices in water and air, but similar ...