Browse Articles

Unlike conventional amplifiers, phase sensitive amplifiers (PSA) enhance the signal-to-noise ratio. But they remain under-explored in deployed fiber links. Zhirong Chen and colleagues report the first high-capacity PSA bidirectional wavelength-division-multiplexing field trial, validating PSA for practical optical communications.

Wearable sensors capture vast health data but require extensive manual annotation. Xiao Gu and colleagues propose a self-supervised contrastive learning method guided by clinical domain expertise, enabling accurate analysis with minimal labeling.

Hyun-Ji Lee and colleagues describe a retinal phantom that mimics both the structure and function of the human retina. This model helps to calibrate imaging systems and may improve the consistency of measurements used in retinal disease diagnosis.

Le Quang Trung and colleagues propose a flexible eddy current sensor system for detecting cracks in steel weld zones. The system achieves real-time detection of surface and subsurface cracks, even on curved and coated surfaces.

Dechuan Sun and colleagues describe a rapid prototyping method for geometric augmented reality waveguides using 3D printing. The approach simplifies fabrication and enables faster exploration of optical designs.

The use of synthetic medical data (SMD) in AI development is on the rise, but its broader application is limited by the lack of a comprehensive evaluation framework. Here, Ghada Zamzmi and colleagues present a novel evaluation framework tailored for medical applications, along with an SMD scorecard that quantitatively assesses synthetic datasets across seven key criteria.

The diverse flight patterns of samaras are key to their dispersal. Here, the authors show that strategically altering mass distribution on a plate induces four distinct samara-like flight modes, offering a new inspiration for biomimetic flier design.

Large language models show remarkable potential in healthcare but face critical explainability challenges that must be addressed before widespread clinical deployment. Here, Munib Mesinovic, Peter Watkinson and Tingting Zhu examine technical and regulatory solutions needed to develop trustworthy, transparent large language models for responsible healthcare integration.

Conventional actuators cannot exhibit high performance at cryogenic temperatures. Shunsuke Sato and colleagues demonstrated that Cu-Al-Mn shape memory alloys can provide high work output from 50 K, showing their potential for use in low-temperature technology fields.

Underwater sound speed is essential for sonar and ocean exploration, but real-time 3D mapping is limited by sparse data and high computational demands. Madiligama, Zou, and Zhang leverage machine learning and satellite data to enable fast and accurate oceanic sound speed predictions.

Le Zhang and colleagues propose that a 70% concentration should be met for economically viable geological storage of carbon dioxide from Direct Air Capture (DAC). This finding provides practical guidance for DAC system design and impurity carbon capture and storage project planning.

Yuxin Zhu and colleagues propose a stability-constrained operation optimisation for direct current microgrid. The proposed strategy exhibits a data model co-driven framework that ensures that the microgrid meets given stability margins while achieving near-optimal operating costs.

Juna Sathian and colleagues demonstrate a room-temperature LED-pumped solid-state maser achieving persistent microwave emission. This advance opens opportunities for low-cost quantum technologies, deep-space communication, and sensing applications.

In this review, Xiaodi Li and colleagues summarize the research progress in combining physical, chemical and biological processes to facilitate short chain fatty acid production via the fermentation of waste activated sludge. The review also provides insights into future research directions.

Percutaneous kidney access is a complex procedure that requires significant surgical expertise. Stefano Bazzani and colleagues propose an ultrasound-guided robotic system to support clinicians, potentially improving accuracy and training for less experienced operators.

Non-contact infrared thermometry with high precision and low power consumption is critical for semiconductor manufacturing. Jindong Bai, Wenhang Yang, and colleagues, present a 15-sensor thermopile array using multiparameter compensation, achieving 25 mK accuracy, >2 W power, and 15.9 mK sensor consistency, enabling reliable thermal monitoring in industrial applications.

Stavros Orfanoudakis and colleagues propose EV-GNN, a graph-based method that improves the scalability of reinforcement learning for electric vehicle charging. This approach helps grid operators manage large networks more efficiently and reliably.

Sri Kalyan Tangirala and Víctor Vilarrasa report that limited conduction heat exchange and high drilling costs result in poor economic returns for electricity generation in closed-loop geothermal systems outside high geothermal gradient fields. This questions industry claims of scalability.

Fa-Cheng Wang and colleagues propose a conceptual hybrid design for submerged floating tunnels (SFTs) that considerably improves resistance to harsh service conditions. This adaptable and cost-effective solution advances SFT practical implementation.