2023-10-20 10:36:39
MADRID, 20 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
A team of physicists has proposed ways to use quasiparticles to create light sources as powerful as the most advanced ones that exist today, but much smaller.
Quasiparticles are made up of many electrons that move synchronously. They can travel at any speed (even faster than light) and resist intense forces, like those that occur near a black hole.
“The most fascinating aspect of quasiparticles is their ability to move in ways that would not be permitted by the laws of physics that govern individual particles,” he says. it’s a statement John Palastro, senior scientist at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics at the University of Reochester and author of the research.
Palastro and his colleagues studied the unique properties of quasiparticles in plasmas by running advanced computer simulations on supercomputers available through the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking. They see promising applications for quasiparticle-based light sources, including non-destructive imaging to search for viruses, understand biological processes such as photosynthesis, make computer chips, and explore the behavior of matter in planets and stars.
“The flexibility is huge,” says Bernardo Malaca, a doctoral student at IST (Instituto Superior Técnico) in Portugal and lead author of the study. “Although each electron performs relatively simple movements, the total radiation of all electrons can mimic that of a particle moving faster than light or an oscillating particle.”
Quasiparticle-based light sources could have a clear advantage over existing forms, such as free-electron lasers, which are rare and massive, making them impractical for most laboratories, hospitals and businesses. With the theory proposed in the study, quasiparticles could produce incredibly bright light with only a small distance to travel, which would could lead to widespread scientific and technological advances in laboratories around the world.
#Superbright #light #sources #powered #quasiparticles