Reseachers discovered new form of light

Physics have just discovered a new form of light where the angular momentum of each photon takes only half of the value of Planck’s constant, changing our current understating of electromagnetic radiation which could lead to faster and more secure internet connections through optical fibers.

This research, that represents a breakthrough for the world of physics and science, was published in the Science Advances.

Light plays a fundamental roll in everybody’s lives, so you could think it has been well-studied and we know everything there is to know about it, but just last year researches discovered a new property of light and recently Irish scientists uncovered that light can take unexpected new forms.

Until yesterday, it was believed that light, regardless of form, would have a whole number (an integer) for angular momentum, multiple of Planck’s constant, but researchers from Trinity College Dublin demonstrated that there is a new form of light, where the angular momentum is only half the value of that number.

This discovery changes scientist complete understanding about light and if it is further developed, it could help making fiber optic connections faster and safer.

But it is important to know that this groundbreaking discovery is far away from giving us such benefits. First, another team of researches needs to replicate TCD’s scientist work to make sure it wasn’t just a one-off.

Source: Science Alert