Researchers at the University of Michigan have created a new technology that produces bright, twisted light waves using filaments curled at the nanoscale. This discovery adds nuance to fundamental physics and offers a new avenue for applications in robotic vision systems and other fields where light tracing out a helix in space is useful.
The team used an approach similar to traditional Edison light bulbs to generate the twisted light. They found that by using filaments twisted at the micro or nanoscale, they could produce blackbody radiation with unique properties, including elliptical polarization. This polarization was dependent on two main factors: the proximity of the wavelength of the photon to the length of each twist and the electronic properties of the material.
Twisted light is also known as “chiral” because it has clockwise and counterclockwise rotations that are mirror images of each other. The researchers envision using this technology in applications such as identifying objects with robots or self-driving cars, which can see like mantis shrimp.
While brightness is a significant advantage of this method, the light produced includes a broad spectrum of wavelengths and twists. The team has ideas to address this, including exploring the possibility of building a laser that relies on twisted light-emitting structures.
This technology could be particularly useful for tasks such as distinguishing between objects with similar wavelengths but different helicity, like deer fur versus fabric. The researchers are also interested in further exploring the infrared spectrum and enhancing contrast through the elliptical polarization of blackbody radiation.
The discovery was made using a device built in the COMPASS Lab at U-M and studied at the Michigan Center for Materials Characterization.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2024-12-edison-filaments-nanoscale-twirl.html