Matter & Energy News -- ScienceDaily

• This frozen fiber makes light and sound interact 1,000x more strongly
  Freezing the liquid core of an optical fiber produced an extreme environment where light and sound interact more than 1,000 times more strongly than in ordinary fibers. Researchers used the effect to create optoacoustic memory, potentially paving the way for lower-energy photonic computers and advanced quantum technologies.
• Scientists catch a hidden electronic state forming in just 30 femtoseconds
  Scientists watched a light-triggered hidden state form inside a material in only 30 femtoseconds, revealing a step that had never been seen before. The material first entered a fleeting electronic state in which its bonds reorganized in a repeating pattern, followed by tiny atomic shifts. This ultrafast pathway could offer a new way to control electronic properties with light and help inspire faster, more responsive technologies.