Light can now be guided in any direction

First scientists have light flows through optical paths after making taught in U conversions and ultimately lead to a complex paths. With the help of materials, as there is even an optical component that decides where to turn light. The pinnacle of this technology now seems to have emerged in the form of a material which guide the light in any direction. The apparent magic is made possible by a new type of photonic crystal created by Weining Man and his colleagues at the State University of San Francisco in the United States.

            Artificial photonic materials is generally based on the reflection of light layered crystal structures such as silicon crystals, which are carved on the geometrically accurate networks. But artificial photonic materials is generally based on the reflection of light layered crystal structures such as silicon crystals, which are carved on the geometrically accurate networks. The novelty is that Weining Man fashioned a photonic crystal whose structure is disordered, allowing escape from traditional geometric patterning. Unlike the precise structure of a crystal, the material is disordered and therefore, is not limited to a specific rotational symmetry - as found in the bathroom tiles, for example. This means that this new type of photonic crystal can be built to be isotropic, ie, look the same in all directions.

            This combination of characteristics, said Man, "creates a freeform platform, so that we can choose any bending or curved to direct the flow of light." As the material is identical in all directions, it has the same photonic properties in all directions. Thus, the new material allows to guide the light arbitrarily, whether in curves and wavy routes. While practical applications of this new type of photonic crystal are distant, its manufacture is a demonstration that the concept of light channelled is not so unattainable. In addition to solar panels and more efficient technologies screens or monitors, these free form light guides may be embedded within other objects, allowing to construct optical circuits for signal processing and telecommunications.

Figure 1. Photonic Crystal

By Rosana Ribeiro