Rebecca Ingle, Ph.D

Feature Writer

Ph.D. Physical Chemistry, M.Chem. Chemistry

Dr. Rebecca Ingle is a researcher in the field of ultrafast spectroscopy, where she specializes in using X-ray and optical spectroscopies to track precisely what happens during light-triggered chemical reactions. Her enthusiasm for science communication led to her starting as a science writer during her undergraduate, and since then she has contributed to numerous magazines, blogs, and newspapers. She particularly loves writing about all things lasers and optics.

Articles from Rebecca

Revealing the Most Abundant Microplastic in Oceans with X-Ray Spectroscopy

An important part of detecting and understanding the types of microplastics in our oceans so that measures can be taken to tackle the problem is having tools for the identification and classification of microplastics. Methods such as infrared spectroscopy and Raman have proved effective for particle size classification and identification.

15 Nov 2021

Recent Developments and Applications in Freeform Optics

With the creation of afocal three-mirror anastigmats, greater computational processing availability, and the need for miniature digital viewfinders, freeform optics have undergone a period of rapid development.

15 Nov 2021

What is Photodynamic Therapy and How Will it Revolutionize Cancer Treatment?

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a type of therapy that involves the use of light to activate a drug to trigger a cytotoxic effect. PDT has been used with great success in the treatment of a variety of cancer types, particularly those that are resistant to chemotherapy, as well as for the treatment of skin diseases such as acne and inflammatory rosacea.

8 Nov 2021

Using X-Ray Raman Spectroscopy to Study Planets

Recent research at the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser (XFEL) facility has shown that it is possible to achieve conditions in an experiment similar to those at the center of planets.1 The European XFEL project is a unique facility capable of producing incredibly intense pulses of high-energy X-ray radiation.

5 Nov 2021

Advancing Low-Energy Electronics with Ultrashort Pulses of Light

The idea of low-energy electronics is designing electrical components with minimal resistance that reduce their overall energy use. It is estimated that, worldwide, over 20 billion kWh of electricity is used every year. An average UK household uses only 3731 kWh over the same period.2 However, a significant portion of that electricity usage could be reduced if all devices and infrastructure were switched to low-energy electronics.

5 Nov 2021

Miniaturizing Raman Imaging Devices with Hybrid Metalenses

A team at Waterloo has developed new hybrid metalenses for two coherent Raman microscopy techniques, coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) and stimulated Raman spectroscopy (SRS). The team has achieved focal spot sizes for near-infrared light that are nearly at the diffraction limit for this wavelength.

29 Oct 2021

The Use of Raman Spectroscopy in Remote Landmine Detection Technology

While there are many efforts to develop more advanced autonomous vehicles that can be used for both device location and detonation, Raman spectroscopy has become one of the most widely adopted chemical sensing techniques. A variant of Raman spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), which is sensitive to species deposited on surface layers, has been of particular interest for remote landmine detection.

22 Oct 2021

The Future of Energy-Efficient Optical Transistors

A team of researchers from both Skoltech and IBM has created an incredibly efficient optical switch that may pave the way to new, energy-efficient optical transistors.

22 Oct 2021

How Mass Spectrometry is Advancing our Understanding of Cancer

Proteins are a common target in cancer therapies, as they are the biomolecules responsible for carrying out most biological processes. The ability to perform high throughput measurements with mass spectrometry has made it a popular tool in clinical proteomics and, in some cases, mass spectrometry is replacing antibody testing as the diagnosis of choice for different types of cancers.

20 Oct 2021

Aiding the Development of Sensors and Quantum Devices with Ultrafast Electron Microscopy

A team based at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has been using ultrafast electron microscopy to investigate tHE strong couplings that arise between gold nanoparticles and layers of graphene. The research will give rise to sensor and quantum device development in the future.

18 Oct 2021