English

An innovative technology that can make light "bend"

155
2024-11-11 13:51:46
See translation

A research team from the University of Glasgow in the UK drew inspiration from the phenomenon of clouds scattering sunlight and developed an innovative technology that can effectively guide or even "bend" light. This technology is expected to achieve significant breakthroughs in fields such as medical imaging, cooling systems, and even nuclear reactors. The relevant research results were published in the latest issue of the journal Nature Physics under the title "Energy Transport in Diffuse Waveguides".

The research team pointed out that clouds, snow, and other white materials have similar effects on light: when photons shine on the surface of these objects, they are almost unable to penetrate and scatter in all directions. For example, when sunlight shines on cumulonimbus clouds, the light will reflect from the top of the cloud, making this part of the cloud appear bright and white; However, there is very little light reaching the bottom of the cloud, resulting in a dark color at the bottom of the cloud.

In order to simulate this natural phenomenon, the research team used opaque white materials and 3D printing technology to manufacture a new type of material, and constructed some small tunnels inside the material. When light shines on this material, it enters these tunnels and scatters. However, unlike scattering in nature, photons do not randomly scatter in all directions, but are guided back into the tunnel by opaque materials. Through this method, they successfully created a series of materials that can guide light in an orderly manner.

Compared with traditional solid materials, this new material increases the transmittance of light by more than two orders of magnitude and enables light to propagate in curved paths. Although this material cannot achieve long-distance transmission like optical fibers, its method is simple and cost-effective, with significant advantages.

The research team emphasizes that this technique of bending light can utilize existing semi transparent structures, such as tendons and fluids within the spine, to open up new avenues for medical imaging. The new technology can also be used to guide heat and neutrons, suitable for multiple engineering fields such as cooling systems and nuclear reactors.

Source: Yangtze River Delta Laser Alliance

Related Recommendations
  • Laser cladding method improves the surface performance of parts

    Laser cladding, also known as laser metal deposition, is a process of depositing one material onto another.When the laser beam scans the target surface, metal powder or wire flow is fed into the molten pool formed by the laser beam, thereby producing the required material coating.The laser cladding method improves the surface properties of the parts, such as wear resistance, and allows for the rep...

    2023-12-28
    See translation
  • Researchers have manufactured chip based optical resonators that can operate in the ultraviolet (UV) and visible light regions of the spectrum

    Figure: Researchers have created a chip based ring resonator that operates in the ultraviolet and visible light ranges and exhibits record low UV loss. The resonator (small circle in the middle) is displayed as blue light.Researchers have created chip based photonic resonators that can operate in the ultraviolet (UV) and visible regions of the spectrum and exhibit record low UV loss. The ne...

    2023-10-06
    See translation
  • The role of PTFE in laser processing

    Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) has improved the efficiency and repeatability of nanosecond and picosecond laser processing technologies used in microelectronics and display glass manufacturing. In the field of precision manufacturing, the demand for efficient and repeatable processes is crucial. The laser structure of glass and laser ablation of silicon substrates are key areas where precision p...

    2024-07-26
    See translation
  • New LiDAR can 'see' faces from hundreds of meters away

    At a distance of 325 meters, the human eye may only be able to distinguish between a person's head and body, making it difficult to discern any other differences. But a research team including Heriot Watt University in the UK and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US has developed a new type of LiDAR scanner that can perform detailed analysis of a person's face from such a distance and c...

    02-11
    See translation
  • Innovating Photonics: Lithium Tantalate Provides Power for the Next Generation of Optoelectronic Circuits

    The new photonic integrated circuit technology based on lithium tantalate has improved cost efficiency and scalability, making significant progress in the fields of optical communication and computing.The rapid development of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) has revolutionized optical communication and computing systems, combining multiple optical devices and functions on a single chip.For deca...

    2024-05-14
    See translation