Scientists at the University of Michigan have created a new way to produce bright, twisted light using nanostructured filaments with twisted geometry. The method is based on an old principle developed by Thomas Edison and relies on the idea that every object emitting heat emits photons in a spectrum tied to its temperature.
When heated, an object emits photons that make up white light, but when passed through a prism, these photons can be separated into different colors. The new study reveals that if the filament is twisted at the micro or nanoscale, the blackbody radiation will also be twisted.
The strength of this twisting depends on two factors: the wavelength of the photon and the electronic properties of the material. This phenomenon is known as “chiral” light, where clockwise and counterclockwise rotations are mirror images of each other.
The researchers envision using this method to identify objects, such as robots and self-driving cars, that can see like mantis shrimp by differentiating among light waves with different directions of twirl and degrees of twistedness. The twist of light could also be used to tell the difference between a deer and a human in thermal imaging.
The breakthrough is significant, offering up to 100 times brighter light than traditional methods. The team plans to explore further into the infrared spectrum and potentially build a laser that relies on twisted light-emitting structures.
Source: https://www.sci.news/physics/nanostructured-filaments-bright-twisted-light-13535.html