Optics podcasts

Louise Willingale explains the NSF Zettawatt Equivalent Ultrashort Pulse Laser System, its role in high-intensity laser research and plans for further increases in capability. The discussion connects the facility’s technical design with the scientific experiments that an exceptionally powerful, short-pulse laser can enable.

Alexandra Delbot discusses Young's double-slit experiment with physicists Christophe Salomon and Serge Haroche. They trace its role in establishing interference and examine how electron experiments, measurement and quantum theory changed the interpretation of the experiment and of wave-particle duality.

Hosted by Alexandra Delbot

Rajesh Menon discusses research combining optical systems with nanofabrication. The episode explores holographic lithography and how coordinated advances in light-based methods and fabrication can support new three-dimensional manufacturing technologies.

Markus Suta of Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf speaks with Tom Götze-Ebert about inorganic photoactive materials and phosphors spanning infrared to ultraviolet wavelengths. The episode examines material choices for lighting, approaches to improving environmental performance and the use of luminescence to measure temperature.

Hosted by Tom Götze-Ebert

Melissa and Jam explain the colour-changing wetness indicator in diapers. The episode connects absorbent polymers with acid–base chemistry, conjugated molecular structures and interactions with light, showing how a change in chemical conditions can produce a visible shift in colour.

Hosted by Melissa, Jam

Nicholas Weiler talks with Guosong Hong about overcoming the limited penetration of light into brain tissue. Inspired by transparent tissues in glass frogs and the eye, Hong describes approaches involving fluorescent nanomaterials, focused ultrasound and molecules that temporarily reduce optical scattering. The conversation examines experiments with a common food dye and a project to genetically engineer mice with transparent brains from birth. These techniques could provide new ways to observe neural circuits and study how the brain develops and functions.

Hosted by Nicholas Weiler