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Polaritons

All articles tagged with #polaritons

science25 days ago•6 min saved

Chinese Researchers Link 71-Terahertz Signal to Quantum States in Mitochondria

A preprint study by Bo Song and colleagues at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology suggests that mitochondria may utilize quantum effects to enhance energy production. Using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, the team detected a 71-terahertz vibration in living cells and mouse tissues that vanished when samples were dried. They propose this signal arises from a polariton, a hybrid state of light and matter, formed by interactions between photons and carbon-hydrogen bonds in mitochondrial membranes. When cells were exposed to infrared light matching this frequency, ATP production increased by approximately 10 percent. While the findings hint at quantum mechanics influencing cellular metabolism, the results remain unverified by peer review and require independent replication.

via ScienceAlert|

#atp-production #infrared-spectroscopy #mitochondria

science5 months ago•5 min saved

Dark Points Outpace Light, Boosting Atomic-Scale Imaging

Using ultrafast transmission electron microscopy and Ramsay interferometry to track optical phase singularities in hexagonal boron nitride polaritons, researchers observed dark points accelerating to superluminal speeds within the light field, confirming a 50-year-old prediction by Nye and Berry. The measurements reveal universal space–time dynamics of these singularities and could enhance super-resolution microscopy and information encoding in orbital angular momentum, with future work on 3D line singularities and other 2D materials.

via Physics World|

#dark-points #hexagonal-boron-nitride #optical-phase-singularities

science-and-technology2 years ago•4 min saved

"Revolutionizing Semiconductors: Polaritons Pave the Way"

Researchers at Purdue University are exploring the use of hybrid quasiparticles called "polaritons" to improve heat transfer in nanoscale semiconductors. While thermal energy is typically transferred through quantum particles called phonons, they are not efficient enough at the nanoscale. Polaritons, which are a combination of photons and phonons, offer a new approach to heat transfer. The researchers have found that polaritons become significant in heat transfer on surfaces thinner than 10 nanometers, making them particularly relevant for shrinking semiconductors. The study highlights the potential for incorporating polariton-based heat transfer principles into the design of future chips.

via Phys.org|

#heat-transfer #nanoscale #polaritons

science-and-technology3 years ago•9 min saved

"Self-hybridized polaritons enable light confinement in a van der Waals magnet"

Researchers have discovered that a van der Waals magnet, specifically the layered magnetic semiconductor CrSBr, exhibits strong coupling of photons and excitons, leading to the emergence of polaritons. These polaritons significantly enhance the correlations between the magnetic, electronic, and optical properties of the material, allowing for tunable optical responses to applied magnetic fields and magnons. The findings highlight the importance of exciton-photon self-hybridization in van der Waals magnets and open up new possibilities for manipulating quantum material properties through strong light-matter coupling.

via Nature.com|

#light-matter-coupling #magneto-optics #polaritons

science-and-technology3 years ago•4 min saved

Revolutionary Polariton-Based Microwave Device for High Performance Emission and Amplification.

Researchers at the University of Manitoba have developed a highly performing device based on cavity magnon polaritons that can emit and amplify microwaves. This device significantly outperforms previously proposed solid-state devices for coherent microwave emission and amplification at room temperature. The new gain-driven polariton realized by the researchers could open exciting new possibilities for the development of highly performing solid-state microwave sources that can be integrated on-chip. These polariton microwave sources are frequency tunable due to the fabulous controllability of light-matter interaction and could ultimately be integrated in a broad range of technologies and devices, including wireless communication systems and quantum computers.

via Phys.org|

#magnons #microwave-emission #polaritons