For the first time, scientists have achieved negative refraction using carefully arranged atomic arrays — without relying on artificially engineered metamaterials.
For years, researchers have sought new ways to manipulate light, often pushing the boundaries of what seemed physically possible. One of the most intriguing challenges in optics is negative refraction, where light bends in the opposite direction from its usual path. This phenomenon has the potential to revolutionize technology, leading to breakthroughs like superlenses that see beyond microscopic limits and cloaking devices that make objects invisible.
Now, scientists have taken a major step forward. By precisely arranging atoms into structured arrays, they have successfully demonstrated negative refraction — without the need for complex, manufactured metamaterials.
In a study published today (February 12) in Nature Communications, Professor Janne Ruostekoski and Dr. Kyle Ballantine from Lancaster University, along with Dr. Lewis Ruks from NTT Basic Research Laboratories in Japan, unveiled a new approach to controlling how atoms and light interact.
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