Making Light (More) Solid

Making Light (More) Solid 33

Posted by Hemos on Monday January 15, 2007 @10:24AM from the but-not-really dept.

quant-guru writes "Man's domination of light continues. New Scientist is running a story that highlights recent theoretical proposals for a photonic insulator, an engineered material that could make photons solidify. From the article: "OK, it wouldn't be a material in the everyday sense of the word, like a solid you could touch, but it could behave like one in some important ways...photons interacting in a quantum material could give us insights into how real materials with quantum properties work." One proposal by Greetree et al. (Nature Physics) (preprint) imagines a device that will allow many photons to interact with each other simultaneously in diamond, with phases reminiscent of real materials (from superfluid to insulating). This could lead to novel devices based on quantum phenomena, for quantum communication or quantum computers as examples. Similar proposals were made concurrently by two other groups: Angelakis et al. and Hartmann et al. (Nature Physics) (preprint). University of Cambridge physicist Charlie Tahan has more information and links (with step-by-step pictures) on his site."

Making Light (More) Solid

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Great (Score:5, Funny)

by Timesprout ( 579035 ) writes: on Monday January 15, 2007 @10:31AM (#17613144)

As if the sun didn't beat down hard enough on us already....

Commercial opportunity (Score:4, Funny)

by lastninja ( 237588 ) writes: on Monday January 15, 2007 @10:45AM (#17613338)

There are a lot of geeks who would want their own lightsaber

- Re: (Score:1)
  
  by account_deleted ( 4530225 ) writes:
  
  Comment removed based on user account deletion
- Commercial? No! (Score:2)
  
  by TuringTest ( 533084 ) writes:
  
  A well-respected geek should build his/her own lightsaber!
  - Obligatory quote: (Score:2)
    
    by sammy baby ( 14909 ) writes:
    
    Obligatory quote:
    
    I see you have constructed a new lightsaber. Your skills are complete. Indeed, you are powerful as the Emperor has foreseen.
Lightsabers? (Score:2, Funny)

by Wizard Drongo ( 712526 ) writes:

Cool, but how will they shoehorn this into the lightsaber along with a suitable power supply? Could be kinda useful for holograms. If they could make so you could touch it, Holosex here we come.....
wow (Score:2, Funny)

by mastershake_phd ( 1050150 ) writes:

Ray guns? Light bombs? Light batteries?This discovery could be very enlightening.
- Re: (Score:1)
  
  by Rude Turnip ( 49495 ) writes:
  
  Hard light holograms!
  - Re: (Score:1)
    
    by Admiral Justin ( 628358 ) writes:
    
    We don't need any Rimmers running around, thank you very much.
- Re: (Score:2)
  
  by inKubus ( 199753 ) writes:
  
  Yeah, wouldn't this be solid energy? And would the photon be a particle or a wave in this case?
What can be done with this? (Score:4, Insightful)

by grimJester ( 890090 ) writes: on Monday January 15, 2007 @11:07AM (#17613604)

This stuff gets so mindboggligly far from normal materials, a non-expert like me has absolutely no chance of understanding what this could be used for. One of the links mentioned exploring quantum phenomena that would otherwise be impossible to experiment with - would that be the main use for this, um, stuff?

- Re: (Score:1)
  
  by Eagleartoo ( 849045 ) writes:
  
  This stuff gets so mindboggligly far from normal materials, a non-expert like me has absolutely no chance of understanding what this could be used for. One of the links mentioned exploring quantum phenomena that would otherwise be impossible to experiment with - would that be the main use for this, um, stuff?
  You post reminded me of Col. Jack O'Neill of SG-1 =). I wouldn't mind having a blaster or a lightsaber, maybe a zat gun for my employer =)
  - Re: (Score:2)
    
    by grimJester ( 890090 ) writes:
    
    It's hard to feel like McGyver after reading that...
Obligatory Star Trek Reference... (Score:2, Interesting)

by Anonymous Coward writes:

Am I the only one who thought of the Photon Torpedo?
Skiffy? (Score:3, Funny)

by Quiet_Desperation ( 858215 ) writes: on Monday January 15, 2007 @11:30AM (#17613910)

They're treading dangerously into Piers Anthony territory here, and should back off a bit to the David Brin zone.

It's a trap! (Score:4, Insightful)

by j00r0m4nc3r ( 959816 ) writes: on Monday January 15, 2007 @11:54AM (#17614234)

Man's domination of light continues.

perhaps it's, "Man plays right into light's devious snare"

- Re: (Score:1)
  
  by zyl0x ( 987342 ) writes:
  
  I, for one, welcome our new solid light overlords.
Storage? (Score:3, Interesting)

by crimzunblu ( 1051484 ) writes: on Monday January 15, 2007 @12:05PM (#17614384)

Can it be like used for storing information. If it can then its gonna be really useful as it will probably achieve data densities never achieved before.

Same idea in Dinosaur Comics today (Score:2)

by The Good Reverend ( 84440 ) writes:

Nobody better tell T-Rex [qwantz.com]!
Quantum material ? Quantum clothes. (Score:1)

by Der PC ( 1026194 ) writes:

I want quantum clothes.

They'd be worn by everybody _and_ no-one in the whole world, at the same time.

Man, that'd be one crowded set of clothes...
- Horrible pickup line (Score:3, Funny)
  
  by Watson Ladd ( 955755 ) writes:
  
  Did you know that by Heisenburg's uncertianty principle you are already in my pants?
  - Re: (Score:1)
    
    by CptPicard ( 680154 ) writes:
    
    Just don't tell her you'd drive her so wild it would be impossible to measure your speed and location at the same time as you'd probably be somewhere near the Planck scale in size...
    
    Another interesting pick-up line would be "want to get entangled tonight?"
All hail the Tabernacle! (Score:2)

by dtfinch ( 661405 ) * writes:

I, for one, welcome our new photonic diamond computer god, who will bless us with eternal life.
(Zardoz reference)
Obligatory (Score:1)

by romrom97 ( 107157 ) writes:

In the brightest day, in the blackest night.....

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Making Light (More) Solid 33

Making Light (More) Solid More Login

Making Light (More) Solid

Great (Score:5, Funny)

Commercial opportunity (Score:4, Funny)

Re: (Score:1)

Commercial? No! (Score:2)

Obligatory quote: (Score:2)

Lightsabers? (Score:2, Funny)

wow (Score:2, Funny)

Re: (Score:1)

Re: (Score:1)

Re: (Score:2)

What can be done with this? (Score:4, Insightful)

Re: (Score:1)

Re: (Score:2)

Obligatory Star Trek Reference... (Score:2, Interesting)

Skiffy? (Score:3, Funny)

It's a trap! (Score:4, Insightful)

Re: (Score:1)

Storage? (Score:3, Interesting)

Same idea in Dinosaur Comics today (Score:2)

Quantum material ? Quantum clothes. (Score:1)

Horrible pickup line (Score:3, Funny)

Re: (Score:1)

All hail the Tabernacle! (Score:2)

Obligatory (Score:1)

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