A collaborative group of researchers has manipulated the behavior of light as if it were under the influence of gravity. The findings, which were published in the journal Physical Review A on September 28, 2023, have far-reaching implications for the world of optics and materials science, and bear significance for the development of 6G communications.
Albert Einstein's theory of relativity has long established that the trajectory of electromagnetic waves—including light and terahertz electromagnetic waves—can be deflected by gravitational fields.
Scientists have recently theoretically predicted that replicating the effects of gravity—i.e., pseudogravity—is possible by deforming crystals in the lower normalized energy (or frequency) region.
"We set out to explore whether lattice distortion in photonic crystals can produce pseudogravity effects," said Professor Kyoko Kitamura from Tohoku University's Graduate School of Engineering.
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