Detecting new forms of light increases Internet speed

Irish physicists found a new form of light with a screw-shaped shape and did not follow the law of momentum.

Light is characterized by color or wavelength. Another important less common amount used to determine light is through its angular momentum.The angular momentum indicates the degree and direction of rotation of the light beam. Scientists still conceive that every light has an angular momentum as an integer number of Planck 's constant , a quantum physical constant.

According to Science Alert, the research team at Trinity University, Dublin, Ireland found a kind of light with an angular momentum equal to only half of Planck's constant . "I find it very interesting to see this result when a fundamental characteristic of light is said to be constant, and can change , " said Paul Eastham, the lead researcher.

Light can exist in a new form that has never been known.(Artwork: Light Painting Photography).

To prove this, the team led light through the crystals to create a beam of light shaped like a screw . The original purpose of the experiment was to search for light properties that improved optical signal transmission.

When Eastham and his colleagues analyzed special light beams using quantum mechanics theory, they found that the angular momentum of the light beam was half the value of Planck's constant, a result that was beyond the team's expectations. . They announced the discovery on April 29 in the Science Advances magazine.

Experiment not only shows the existence of a new form of light but also provides a complete piece for quantum mechanics. Since the 1980s, theoretical physicists have predicted quantum mechanics to allow quantum numbers not to be integers. With this finding, the first prediction of the last century was confirmed.

"Light is always one of the topics that physicists are interested in, and one of the most well-researched areas , " said Stefano Sanvito, a research team member. "This discovery is a breakthrough in the physical and scientific world."

Research has a great impact on people's understanding of light, promising to open applications that improve speed and security along fiber optic cables with faster, safer Internet connections.