Spiraling corkscrews of laser light reveal a quantum material's secrets (IMAGE)
Caption
Laser light is usually linearly polarized, meaning that its waves oscillate in only one direction - up and down, in the example at left. But it can also be circularly polarized, at right, so its waves spiral like a corkscrew around the direction the light is traveling. A new study from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University predicts that this circularly polarized light can be used to explore quantum materials in ways that were not possible before.
Credit
Greg Stewart/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Usage Restrictions
None
License
Licensed content