Scientists Amplify Light Using Sound On a Silicon Chip (phys.org) 21
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Phys.Org: Yale scientists have found a way to greatly boost the intensity of light waves on a silicon microchip using the power of sound. Writing in the journal Nature Photonics, a team led by Peter Rakich describes a new waveguide system that harnesses the ability to precisely control the interaction of light and sound waves. "Silicon is the basis for practically all microchip technologies," said Rakich, who is an assistant professor of applied physics and physics at Yale. "The ability to combine both light and sound in silicon permits us to control and process information in new ways that weren't otherwise possible." Rakich said combining the two capabilities "is like giving a UPS driver an amphibious vehicle -- you can find a much more efficient route for delivery when traveling by land or water." "Figuring out how to shape this interaction without losing amplification was the real challenge," said Eric Kittlaus, a graduate student in Rakich's lab and the study's first author. "With precise control over the light-sound interaction, we will be able to create devices with immediate practical uses, including new types of lasers." The researchers said there are commercial applications for the technology in a number of areas, including fiber-optic communications and signal processing. The system is part of a larger body of research the Rakich lab has conducted for the past five years, focused on designing new microchip technologies for light.
So does that mean.... (Score:5, Funny)
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Even better laser swords will have an awesome hum.
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That really powerful laser guns will finally make a "pew! pew! pew!" noise like they do in movies?
No. It means another concert tour for ELO [wikipedia.org].
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Fear is the little death (Score:1)
Muad'Dib will be delighted to hear of it.
Is the corollary also true? (Score:3)
Does the mechanism augment reference sound frequencies when incident light levels change?
I ask, because silicon dioxide is peizoelectric. Purposeful inclusions/application as a layer could possibly allow greater fidelity of photon detection if true.
If both are true, it may assist in electro-optical circuit designs, and a number of other useful applications-- but better light sensing in very poor light has a huge demand.
So you can get your DVD/BR even faster! (Score:1)
Yes, I am being intentionally dense much like the facts around this story. But mine's for humor purposes. Honest!
Preprint paper here (Score:5, Informative)
Preprint paper here [arxiv.org].
Short summary. Old technique using silicon nanowires has shortcomings. Their new technique using a silicon membrane works better (5.2dB gain at 60 mW).
For those that don't know what Brillouin scattering/amplification is all about, it's basically a non-linear scattering effect between two electromagnetic waves and a phonon (usually a "sound" wave, or more specifically spatio-temporal variations in local strain of a structure say like in silicon). A highly simplified way to think about it is if you "vibrate" a crystal you can set up patterns of constructive interference between incoming and outgoing light which results in amplification.
Although there are many Brillouin configurations that are possible, this paper talks a forward scattering scheme that allows one electromagnetic wave to pump another one (basically what is required to make an amplifier or a laser).
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Thank you!! Mod parent up please.
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Finally. (Score:1)
Working Title (Score:2)
Throw in the other forces. (Score:2)
Affecting Electromagnetic Waves with acoustic waves is interesting, but we already rule both. It'd be far more interesting if they can get any change in gravity waves the Strong Force and Weak Force, merely by using sound or light.
Finally.... (Score:2)