Research

  Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has spun off its laser-based internet company Taara from its “moonshot” incubator X, positioning it as an independent entity and a potential competitor to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network. This move allows Taara to attract external funding and pursue more aggressive growth strategies. Taara employs free-space optical communication [...]

By Bill Chan, President at LiteController Inc. We know how nighttime light affects Melatonin production – but do we truly understand how light exposure during the day influences our circadian system?  Current circadian lighting metrics do not fully capture the biological effects or circadian entrainment of daytime light exposure. The two circadian lighting metrics (CS [...]

  The CIE has recently published a new technical report and an international standard: Technical Report: CIE 255:2025 – The Functional Visual Field, 44 pages Technical Report CIE 255:2025, titled “The Functional Visual Field,” provides a comprehensive review of human visual field studies. The report aims to enhance understanding of the visual field’s role by classifying [...]

Light can be reflected not only in space but also in time, according to recent research exploring “time reflections.” This phenomenon occurs when light encounters a sudden change in its environment, causing part of it to reverse direction in time. Time reflections were first proposed in the 1970s but were considered impossible to achieve in [...]

  The research conducted by the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC has revealed groundbreaking findings on the potential of red light therapy to reduce blood clot formation. This discovery has significant implications for the prevention and treatment of life-threatening conditions such as heart attacks and strokes. Key findings include: Clot Reduction in Mice Mice exposed [...]

  Physicists at the University of Birmingham have created the first direct visualization of a photon’s shape. This groundbreaking achievement provides new insights into the fundamental nature of light and its interactions with matter. Photons, the particles of light, are impossible to photograph directly as they don’t interact with each other. However, researchers have now [...]

  Here is a quick review of five CIE publications released in 2024: CIE 253:2024 Overview of Methods for Evaluating Colour Rendition of White-Light Sources beyond Colour Fidelity Technical Report CIE 253:2024 includes an overview of seven methods to characterize specific colour rendition characteristics of white-light sources beyond colour fidelity. Methods to characterize colour fidelity are described [...]

  IBM has unveiled groundbreaking research in optics technology that could revolutionize how data centers train and run generative AI models, using light instead of electricity. The company’s co-packaged optics (CPO) innovation aims to replace electrical interconnects in data centers, offering significant improvements in speed and energy efficiency for AI and other computing applications. IBM [...]

  The DOE’s new CALiPER testing report on upper-room Germicidal Ultraviolet (GUV) luminaires highlights significant advancements and persistent challenges in this technology. Upper-room GUV, recommended by both ASHRAE and the CDC, has shown promise in delivering substantial energy savings while meeting ASHRAE Standard 241 and CDC ventilation targets without requiring major HVAC upgrades. Key findings [...]