Scientists at the University of Central Florida in the US have developed a new laser beam that does not use the typical laws of refraction of light physics.
The discovery could lead to new communication technologies, which may be useful for military and defense personnel, for example, who communicate with each other.
The findings were published in Nature Photonics on June 22nd.
‘Spacetime Wave Packets’
The term that the team of scientists calls their new laser radiation system is “spacetime wave packets”, which have the potential to change the way communications technologies.
To explain existing communication methods, these follow what is known as Snell’s Law. Simply put, scientists say Snell’s Law broke down in their study to explain how it works: when you look at a spoon placed in a glass of water, the spoon looks broken at the point where it fills the water. This happens because light travels more slowly through water than it does through air, and the light rays bend as they enter the water.
However, the new laser beam follows this rule of physics, a fundamental law of light.
“This new class of laser beams has unique properties that are not shared by common laser beams, “explained Ayman Abouraddy, lead researcher of the study.
“Space wave packages can be arranged to behave in the usual way, not to change the speed at all, or even to accelerate anomaly in darker materials. As such, these light pulses can arrive at different points in space at the same time.”
An example that the team uses to explain how their system works is this: if an airplane tries to send a message to two submarines at the same depth, but one is further away from the airplane than the other, the closest submarine get the message faster. With its new laser beam, however, the message reaches both submarines at the same time, as long as they are at the same depth.
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The team insists that their laser beam fits with special relativity, and does not completely go against the laws of physics. Their research does not change oscillations with light waves, but controls the velocities at which the peaks of light pulses travel. The team achieves this by using a spatial light modulator.
“Space-time refraction defies our expectations away from the Fermat principle and offers new opportunities for shaping the flow of light and other wave phenomena,” said Basanta Bhaduri, co-author of the study.
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