Optics

Common experience tells us that oil and water do not mix. Yet, it turns out that they can mix when oil is dispersed as small droplets in water. This strange behavior has long vexed scientists because there is no explanation for it. A team of EPFL and ICTP scientists have studied this question using novel optical technology and discovered the mechanism by which these two neutral and immiscible compounds can in fact mix together and form emulsions. The answer lies in the electrical charge distribution at the interface.

Researchers at EPFL, China, Spain and the Netherlands have built a micro-device that uses vibrating molecules to transform invisible mid-infrared light into visible light. The breakthrough ushers in a new class of compact sensors for thermal imaging and chemical or biological analysis.

Fully operational for two weeks, the Dubochet Center for Imaging was presented to the press on November 22. The DCI houses the world’s most advanced cryo-electron microscopes, which promises considerable advances in biomedical research thanks to the precision of the images that these microscopes can obtain.

By combining two microscopy methods, EPFL researchers are able to see what is happening inside a cell and on its membrane simultaneously, giving unprecedented insight into the cellular processes that occur during infection, for example.

Thanks to the enhanced light-field technology developed by EPFL spin-off Creal, augmented-reality and virtual-reality images appear increasingly life-like with less strain on users’ eyes. The company will present the latest version of its system at the Augmented World Expo this week in California.