8/6/2016

Scientistsdiscoverlightcouldexistinapreviouslyunknownform

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August5,2016

Scientistsdiscoverlightcouldexistinapreviouslyunknownform
August5,2016

JohannWolfgangvon
GoetheSuferinteletanaruluiWerther(Top

10+)veziacum20%11,52lei14,40lei

Artisticimageoflighttrappedonthesurfaceofananoparticletopologicalinsulator.Credit:
VincenzoGiannini

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SiegfriedSchneiderMatematica.
EcuatiisifunctiiPocketTeacherveziacum

35%9,69lei14,90lei

Itwouldalsoallowresearchersto
studyquantumphysical
phenomena,whichgovernparticles
smallerthanatoms,onavisible
scale.

Johann

Innormalmaterials,lightinteractswithawholehostofelectronspresenton
thesurfaceandwithinthematerial.Butbyusingtheoreticalphysicstomodel
thebehaviouroflightandarecentlydiscoveredclassofmaterialsknownas
topologicalinsulators,Imperialresearchershavefoundthatitcouldinteract
withjustoneelectrononthesurface.
Thiswouldcreateacouplingthatmergessomeofthepropertiesofthelight
andtheelectron.Normally,lighttravelsinastraightline,butwhenboundto
theelectronitwouldinsteadfollowitspath,tracingthesurfaceofthe
material.
Inthestudy,publishedtodayinNatureCommunications,DrVincenzo
Gianniniandcolleaguesmodelledthisinteractionaroundananoparticlea
smallspherebelow0.00000001metresindiametermadeofatopological
insulator.

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Newresearchsuggeststhatitispossibletocreateanewformoflightby
bindinglighttoasingleelectron,combiningthepropertiesofboth.
Accordingtothescientistsbehind
thestudy,fromImperialCollege
London,thecoupledlightand
electronwouldhavepropertiesthat
couldleadtocircuitsthatworkwith
packagesoflightphotons
insteadofelectrons.

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8/6/2016

Scientistsdiscoverlightcouldexistinapreviouslyunknownform
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MorefromGeneralPhysics
Artisticimageoflighttrappedonthesurfaceofananoparticletopologicalinsulator.Credit:
VincenzoGiannini

Theirmodelsshowedthataswellasthelighttakingthepropertyofthe
electronandcirculatingtheparticle,theelectronwouldalsotakeonsomeof
thepropertiesofthelight.
Normally,aselectronsaretravellingalongmaterials,suchaselectrical
circuits,theywillstopwhenfacedwithadefect.However,DrGiannini'steam
discoveredthateveniftherewereimperfectionsinthesurfaceofthe
nanoparticle,theelectronwouldstillbeabletotravelonwardswiththeaidof
thelight.
Ifthiscouldbeadaptedintophotoniccircuits,theywouldbemorerobustand
lessvulnerabletodisruptionandphysicalimperfections.
DrGianninisaid:"Theresultsofthisresearchwillhaveahugeimpactonthe
wayweconceivelight.Topologicalinsulatorswereonlydiscoveredinthelast
decade,butarealreadyprovidinguswithnewphenomenatostudyandnew
waystoexploreimportantconceptsinphysics."
DrGianniniaddedthatitshouldbepossibletoobservethephenomenahe
hasmodelledinexperimentsusingcurrenttechnology,andtheteamis
workingwithexperimentalphysiciststomakethisareality.
Hebelievesthattheprocessthatleadstothecreationofthisnewformof
lightcouldbescaledupsothatthephenomenacouldobservedmuchmore
easily.Currently,quantumphenomenacanonlybeseenwhenlookingatvery
smallobjectsorobjectsthathavebeensupercooled,butthiscouldallow
scientiststostudythesekindsofbehaviouratroomtemperature.
Explorefurther:Spinninglightwavesmightbe'locked'forphotonics
technologies
Moreinformation:G.Sirokietal,Singleelectroninducedsurfaceplasmons
onatopologicalnanoparticle,NatureCommunications(2016).DOI:
10.1038/NCOMMS12375
Journalreference:NatureCommunications
Providedby:ImperialCollegeLondon

http://phys.org/news/201608scientistspreviouslyunknown.html

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