Nov. 19 () –
Photons (individual particles of light) have been explored in an unprecedented level of detail to show how they are emitted by atoms or molecules and how they are shaped by their environment.
The nature of this interaction gives rise to infinite possibilities for light to exist and propagate, or travel, through its surrounding environment. However, this unlimited possibility makes the interactions exceptionally difficult to model and is a challenge that quantum physicists have been working to address for several decades.
By grouping these possibilities into distinct sets, a team at the University of Birmingham was able to produce a model that describes not only the interactions between the photon and the emitter, but also how the energy from that interaction travels into the distant “far field.” At the same time, they were able to use their calculations to produce a visualization of the photon itself.
First author Dr. Benjamin Yuen, from the University’s Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, explained in a statement: “Our calculations allowed us to turn a seemingly intractable problem into something that can be calculated. And, almost as a byproduct of the model, we were able to produce this image of a photon, something that had not been seen before in physics.”
The work is important because it opens new avenues of research for quantum physicists and materials science, as the authors explain in an article published in Physical Review Letters. By being able to precisely define how a photon interacts with matter and other elements in its environment, scientists can design new nanophotonic technologies that could change the way we communicate safely, we detect pathogens or control chemical reactions at the molecular level, For example.
Co-author Professor Angela Demetriadou, also from the University of Birmingham, said: “The geometry and optical properties of the environment have profound consequences for the way photons are emitted, including the definition of shape, color and even the probability of their existence.”
Dr. Benjamin Yuen added: “This work helps us increase our understanding of the energy exchange between light and matter and, secondly, better understand how light radiates into its near and far surroundings. Previously, I thought much of this information was just “noise”, but there is so much information within it that we can now interpret and use it. By understanding this, we lay the foundation to be able to design interactions between light and matter for future applications, such as better sensors, improved photovoltaic power cells or quantum computing.”
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