Tie Light in Knots by Physicists
The remarkable feat of tying light in knots has been achieved by a team of physicists working at the universities of Bristol, Glasgow and Southampton, UK, reports a paper in Nature Physics this week.
Understanding how to control light in this way has important implications for laser technology used in wide a range of industries.
Dr Mark Dennis from the University of Bristol and lead author on the paper, explained: "In a light beam, the flow of light through space is similar to water flowing in a river. Although it often flows in a straight line -- out of a torch, laser pointer, etc -- light can also flow in whirls and eddies, forming lines in space called 'optical vortices'.
The colored circle represents the hologram, out of which the knotted optical vortex emerges. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of Bristol)
Understanding how to control light in this way has important implications for laser technology used in wide a range of industries.
Dr Mark Dennis from the University of Bristol and lead author on the paper, explained: "In a light beam, the flow of light through space is similar to water flowing in a river. Although it often flows in a straight line -- out of a torch, laser pointer, etc -- light can also flow in whirls and eddies, forming lines in space called 'optical vortices'.
