| mang2004 |
2019-09-05 02:17 |
Eminent scientist’s theories aid light wave find , I6jfXI4
,)/gy) ~#
vUm#^/#I
A previously unknown type of light wave has been discovered by researchers, based on the pioneering work of a 19th century Scottish scientist. vT/e&8w
%LyZaU_sB
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. R=& 9 M4
KYE)#<V}@
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. G"k.s RKu
HYcLXh vgu
Wave discovery <;Q1u,Mc
T 8<pb^#
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. !d nCr R
z=mH \!
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. loRT+u$&
$HgBzZ7A2
These waves can be produced only using certain types of crystal whose optical properties depend on the direction in which light passes through them, researchers say. L\0;)eJ#M
r-^FM~Jp
Original equations SeuC7!q{
w
O
H{L
The team identified the waves’ unique properties using mathematical models that incorporated equations developed by James Clerk Maxwell. Since the mid-1800s, research on how light interacts with crystals has built on the work of Maxwell, who studied at the University of Edinburgh from the age of 16. y8*MNw
J)7\k$ D
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. CD^C}MB
I=ao P}_
|
|