| mang2004 |
2019-09-05 02:17 |
Eminent scientist’s theories aid light wave find ~Y1nU-
f4`Nws-dP
9G1ZW=83
A previously unknown type of light wave has been discovered by researchers, based on the pioneering work of a 19th century Scottish scientist. MO1H?U hx
jJ
RaY 3
Equations developed by renowned mathematician and physicist James Clerk Maxwell have helped to reveal how crystals can be manipulated to produce a distinctive form of light wave. uC]c`Ue
^S|}<6~6b
The phenomena – recently named Dyakonov-Voigt waves – could have a range of useful applications, such as improving biosensors used to screen blood samples or developing fibre optic circuits that transfer data more efficiently. N+]HJ`K
8XCT[X
Wave discovery 5HB*
X~*/ ~f
Scientists and engineers from the University of Edinburgh and Pennsylvania State University made the discovery by analysing how light – which travels in the form of waves – interacts with certain naturally occurring or man-made crystals. ,7d#t4
cI6Td *vM
They found that Dyakonov-Voigt waves are produced at a specific region – known as an interface – where the crystals meet another material, such as oil or water. -lfbn = 3
Q*f0YjH!
These waves can be produced only using certain types of crystal whose optical properties depend on the direction in which light passes through them, researchers say. e ?Jgk$"
VYK%0S9yH[
Original equations T7Y+ WfYh
oB<!U%B N
The team identified the waves’ unique properties using mathematical models that incorporated equations developed by James Clerk Maxwell. Since the mid-1800s, research on how light interacts with crystals has built on the work of Maxwell, who studied at the University of Edinburgh from the age of 16. x=W5e
^0?
D;:p6q}hT
Dyakonov-Voigt waves, named after two leading scientists, diminish as they move away from the interface – a process called decay – and travel only in a single direction, the team found. Other types of so-called surface waves decay more quickly and travel in multiple directions. g/!tp;e
L8pKVr
|
|