Nanotechnology Now

Our NanoNews Digest Sponsors
Heifer International



Home > Press > Scientists make transparent materials absorb light

This is a schematic of a virtual light absorption process: A layer of a transparent material is exposed to light beams from both sides, with the light intensity increasing in time. Image courtesy of the researchers.
CREDIT
MIPT Press Office
This is a schematic of a virtual light absorption process: A layer of a transparent material is exposed to light beams from both sides, with the light intensity increasing in time. Image courtesy of the researchers. CREDIT MIPT Press Office

Abstract:
A group of physicists from Russia, Sweden, and the U.S. has demonstrated a highly unusual optical effect: They managed to "virtually" absorb light using a material that has no light-absorbing capacity. The research findings, published in Optica, break new ground for the creation of memory elements for light.

Scientists make transparent materials absorb light

Moscow, Russia | Posted on December 1st, 2017

The absorption of electromagnetic radiation -- light, among other things -- is one of the main effects of electromagnetism. This process takes place when electromagnetic energy is converted to heat or another kind of energy within an absorbing material (for instance, during electron excitation). Coal, black paint, and carbon nanotube arrays -- also known as Vantablack -- look black because they absorb the energy of the incident light almost completely. Other materials, such as glass or quartz, have no absorbing properties and therefore look transparent.

In their theoretical research, the results of which were published in the journal Optica, the physicists managed to dispel that simple and intuitive notion by making a completely transparent material appear perfectly absorbing. To achieve that, the researchers employed special mathematical properties of the scattering matrix -- a function that relates an incident electromagnetic field with the one scattered by the system. When a light beam of time-independent intensity hits a transparent object, the light does not get absorbed but is scattered by the material -- a phenomenon caused by the unitary property of the scattering matrix. It turned out, however, that if the intensity of the incident beam is varied with time in a certain fashion, the unitary property can be disrupted, at least for some time. In particular, if the intensity growth is exponential, the total incident light energy will accumulate in the transparent material without leaving it (fig. 1). That being the case, the system will appear perfectly absorbing from the outside.

To illustrate the effect, the researchers examined a thin layer of a transparent dielectric and calculated the intensity profile required for the absorption of the incident light. The calculations confirmed that when the incident wave intensity grows exponentially (the dotted line on fig. 2), the light is neither transmitted nor reflected (the solid curve on fig. 2). That is, the layer looks perfectly absorbing despite the fact that it lacks the actual absorption capacity. However, when the exponential growth of the incident wave amplitude comes to a halt (at t = 0), the energy locked in the layer is released.

"Our theoretical findings appear to be rather counterintuitive. Up until we started our research, we couldn't even imagine that it would be possible to 'pull off such a trick' with a transparent structure," says Denis Baranov, a doctoral student at MIPT and one of the authors of the study. "However, it was the mathematics that led us to the effect. Who knows, electrodynamics may well harbor other fascinating phenomena."

The results of the study not only broaden our general understanding of how light behaves when it interacts with common transparent materials, but also have a wide range of practical applications. To give an example, the accumulation of light in a transparent material may help design optical memory devices that would store optical information without any losses and release it when needed.

####

For more information, please click here

Contacts:
Ilyana Zolotareva

7-977-771-4699

Copyright © Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

If you have a comment, please Contact us.

Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.

Bookmark:
Delicious Digg Newsvine Google Yahoo Reddit Magnoliacom Furl Facebook

Related Links

RELATED JOURNAL ARTICLE:

Related News Press

News and information

Researchers are cracking the code on solid-state batteries: Using a combination of advanced imagery and ultra-thin coatings, University of Missouri researchers are working to revolutionize solid-state battery performance February 28th, 2025

Unraveling the origin of extremely bright quantum emitters: Researchers from Osaka University have discovered the fundamental properties of single-photon emitters at an oxide/semiconductor interface, which could be crucial for scalable quantum technology February 28th, 2025

Closing the gaps — MXene-coating filters can enhance performance and reusability February 28th, 2025

Rice researchers harness gravity to create low-cost device for rapid cell analysis February 28th, 2025

Possible Futures

Researchers are cracking the code on solid-state batteries: Using a combination of advanced imagery and ultra-thin coatings, University of Missouri researchers are working to revolutionize solid-state battery performance February 28th, 2025

Unraveling the origin of extremely bright quantum emitters: Researchers from Osaka University have discovered the fundamental properties of single-photon emitters at an oxide/semiconductor interface, which could be crucial for scalable quantum technology February 28th, 2025

Closing the gaps — MXene-coating filters can enhance performance and reusability February 28th, 2025

Rice researchers harness gravity to create low-cost device for rapid cell analysis February 28th, 2025

Memory Technology

Utilizing palladium for addressing contact issues of buried oxide thin film transistors April 5th, 2024

Interdisciplinary: Rice team tackles the future of semiconductors Multiferroics could be the key to ultralow-energy computing October 6th, 2023

Researchers discover materials exhibiting huge magnetoresistance June 9th, 2023

Rensselaer researcher uses artificial intelligence to discover new materials for advanced computing Trevor Rhone uses AI to identify two-dimensional van der Waals magnets May 12th, 2023

Nanotubes/Buckyballs/Fullerenes/Nanorods/Nanostrings

Chainmail-like material could be the future of armor: First 2D mechanically interlocked polymer exhibits exceptional flexibility and strength January 17th, 2025

Innovative biomimetic superhydrophobic coating combines repair and buffering properties for superior anti-erosion December 13th, 2024

Catalytic combo converts CO2 to solid carbon nanofibers: Tandem electrocatalytic-thermocatalytic conversion could help offset emissions of potent greenhouse gas by locking carbon away in a useful material January 12th, 2024

TU Delft researchers discover new ultra strong material for microchip sensors: A material that doesn't just rival the strength of diamonds and graphene, but boasts a yield strength 10 times greater than Kevlar, renowned for its use in bulletproof vests November 3rd, 2023

Optical computing/Photonic computing

Groundbreaking research unveils unified theory for optical singularities in photonic microstructures December 13th, 2024

UCF researcher discovers new technique for infrared “color” detection and imaging: The new specialized tunable detection and imaging technique for infrared photons surpasses present technology and may be a cost-effective method of capturing thermal imaging or night vision, medica December 13th, 2024

New material to make next generation of electronics faster and more efficient With the increase of new technology and artificial intelligence, the demand for efficient and powerful semiconductors continues to grow November 8th, 2024

Groundbreaking precision in single-molecule optoelectronics August 16th, 2024

Discoveries

Development of 'transparent stretchable substrate' without image distortion could revolutionize next-generation displays Overcoming: Poisson's ratio enables fully transparent, distortion-free, non-deformable display substrates February 28th, 2025

Unraveling the origin of extremely bright quantum emitters: Researchers from Osaka University have discovered the fundamental properties of single-photon emitters at an oxide/semiconductor interface, which could be crucial for scalable quantum technology February 28th, 2025

Closing the gaps — MXene-coating filters can enhance performance and reusability February 28th, 2025

Rice researchers harness gravity to create low-cost device for rapid cell analysis February 28th, 2025

Materials/Metamaterials/Magnetoresistance

Chainmail-like material could be the future of armor: First 2D mechanically interlocked polymer exhibits exceptional flexibility and strength January 17th, 2025

Enhancing transverse thermoelectric conversion performance in magnetic materials with tilted structural design: A new approach to developing practical thermoelectric technologies December 13th, 2024

FSU researchers develop new methods to generate and improve magnetism of 2D materials December 13th, 2024

New material to make next generation of electronics faster and more efficient With the increase of new technology and artificial intelligence, the demand for efficient and powerful semiconductors continues to grow November 8th, 2024

Announcements

Development of 'transparent stretchable substrate' without image distortion could revolutionize next-generation displays Overcoming: Poisson's ratio enables fully transparent, distortion-free, non-deformable display substrates February 28th, 2025

Unraveling the origin of extremely bright quantum emitters: Researchers from Osaka University have discovered the fundamental properties of single-photon emitters at an oxide/semiconductor interface, which could be crucial for scalable quantum technology February 28th, 2025

Closing the gaps — MXene-coating filters can enhance performance and reusability February 28th, 2025

Rice researchers harness gravity to create low-cost device for rapid cell analysis February 28th, 2025

Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters

Development of 'transparent stretchable substrate' without image distortion could revolutionize next-generation displays Overcoming: Poisson's ratio enables fully transparent, distortion-free, non-deformable display substrates February 28th, 2025

Leading the charge to better batteries February 28th, 2025

Quantum interference in molecule-surface collisions February 28th, 2025

New ocelot chip makes strides in quantum computing: Based on "cat qubits," the technology provides a new way to reduce quantum errors February 28th, 2025

Photonics/Optics/Lasers

Bringing the power of tabletop precision lasers for quantum science to the chip scale December 13th, 2024

Researchers succeed in controlling quantum states in a new energy range December 13th, 2024

Groundbreaking research unveils unified theory for optical singularities in photonic microstructures December 13th, 2024

UCF researcher discovers new technique for infrared “color” detection and imaging: The new specialized tunable detection and imaging technique for infrared photons surpasses present technology and may be a cost-effective method of capturing thermal imaging or night vision, medica December 13th, 2024

NanoNews-Digest
The latest news from around the world, FREE




  Premium Products
NanoNews-Custom
Only the news you want to read!
 Learn More
NanoStrategies
Full-service, expert consulting
 Learn More











ASP
Nanotechnology Now Featured Books




NNN

The Hunger Project