Publication

A new “smart” optical material that can be tuned simply with light has been developed, opening new possibilities for future photonic technologies. The work focuses on polarization volume gratings (PVGs), special chiral liquid crystal structures, that don’t just reflect light, but diffract it very efficiently, making them promising for applications like augmented reality displays. To control these materials, the team introduced hydrazone photoswitches, molecules that can rever

Researchers at Tampere University have developed a novel soft material that can change shape when exposed to light, without any physical contact. Using precisely controlled light, the material forms tiny, dynamic surface patterns that can even move small objects across it. This work marks an important step toward creating “living‑like” materials that can adapt and respond to their surroundings, with potential applications in sensing, photonics, and biomedical technologies. Yo

A new study in Advanced Optical Materials shows a way to build lasers that can be “programmed” to produce different colors in different tiny areas (pixels). Sudharsana Bhashyam Pillailokam and Alex Berdin created a material surface where each small spot can emit its own laser color, and many of these spots can work together at once. This is done by carefully shaping microscopic patterns using advanced light-based techniques. This makes it possible to design custom light sourc

The study shows how liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE) can bend and crawl using controlled laser heating. The researchers took inspiration from C. elegans , a small worm that moves by bending along its body. By shining a laser on different parts of the fiber in sequence, the scientists made LCE strip bend in a similar pattern. This wave motion allows the fiber to move forward without any motors or electronics inside it. The system is simple: light heats small areas of the mat