Laser-telescope system measures speed of diverse bird groupings.

US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) looks to break conventions in optical design with ‘EXTREME’ program.

13 senior scientists make up high-level steering committee, chaired by Humboldt University’s Jürgen Mlynek.

Los Alamos spin-out gets SBIR Phase 1 cash to develop coatings based on cadmium-free nanoparticles.

Chessboard design operating at room temperature provides 4.3 µm detection and could easily be scaled for imaging applications.

Second phase of packaging program follows successful development of device library including grating couplers.

Allows more complex geometries and product integration with bonded copper layers without toxic chemicals.

With data rates of more than 2Gbits/s, new approach in photodetection could simplify free-space optics.

Measurement of ultra-small magnetic fields from a frog nerve could lead to practical use in diagnostics.

Tiny telescopes fitted with off-the-shelf spectrometers and imagers could be used as exploratory tools in advance of major astronomy missions.

Business-led development and commercialization proposals worth up to £2m each are invited.

COMET will focus on improving laser-based optical coatings and metrology processes.