A new nanoresonator device is causing quite a stir in the field of photonics science with the news that it can generate 10,000 times more light than a device of its physical size typically should.
The device was developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US under the supervision of assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering Zongfu Yu, and the team involved has been able to show how its nanoresonator was able to manipulate light to be able to create a rather large ‘reflection’.
According to Phys.org, the team was able to create such a device by creating an artificial material that manipulates the wavelength of light to the point where it is much larger than when in a vacuum, creating the powerful beams of light.
This is achieved by condensing the light to smaller than that of its wavelength, which allows it to harness more light energy before scattering it across a large area.
In terms of applications, this would make it easier to see microscopic particles appear much larger than before, but it could also have more commercial applications.
“We are developing photo-detectors based on this technology, and, for example, it could be helpful for photographers wanting to shoot better quality pictures in weak light conditions,” Yu said in an interview with the university.
Not only this, but the discovery could pave the way for advancements in how solar energy is absorbed through panels, making them more efficient.
Bright light at end of tunnel image via Keoni Cabral/Flickr
