Latest news with #lasers
Sustainability Times
5 hours ago
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'Light from Absolute Nothingness': Scientists Achieve Historic First by Creating Photons in a Virtual Quantum Vacuum
IN A NUTSHELL 🌟 Scientists at the University of Oxford simulated light creation from nothing by disturbing the quantum vacuum with intense lasers. at the University of Oxford simulated light creation from nothing by disturbing the with intense lasers. 💡 The study demonstrates how virtual particles in empty space can interact with laser energy to form new light waves . . 🔬 Advanced simulations using the OSIRIS program revealed the potential to explore high-energy physics beyond the Standard Model. beyond the Standard Model. 🌌 This research challenges traditional notions of emptiness and could lead to breakthroughs in light manipulation and advanced laser technology. In a groundbreaking achievement, scientists at the University of Oxford have simulated the creation of light from nothing, challenging our understanding of the universe. Utilizing powerful computer simulations, they have demonstrated how intense laser beams can disturb the quantum vacuum, leading to the emergence of light without any physical matter. This fascinating discovery taps into the strange predictions of quantum physics, suggesting that empty space is far from empty. Instead, it's a realm filled with invisible energy fluctuations and virtual particles. This research has significant implications for high-energy physics and advanced laser systems, potentially altering our fundamental understanding of reality. Making Light from Nothing To grasp this remarkable achievement, one must first reconsider the concept of a vacuum. In classical physics, a vacuum is an empty space devoid of air, particles, or light. However, quantum physics paints a different picture. It suggests that even the emptiest space is teeming with fleeting virtual particles, particularly pairs of electrons and positrons that appear and vanish in mere moments. According to the study authors, 'the quantum vacuum is filled with energy fluctuations from which virtual electron-positron pairs arise.' These virtual particles usually remain unseen but can interact with real energy under specific conditions. The researchers aimed to simulate this interaction using a high-powered program called OSIRIS, which functions as a virtual laboratory where quantum physics rules are meticulously played out. Their objective was to recreate a theoretical phenomenon known as vacuum four-wave mixing. In this process, multiple laser beams crisscrossing in a vacuum can polarize the virtual particles, allowing the beams to mix and generate new light waves. Remarkably, this occurs without adding any material, as if new light is born from a field of invisible, flickering particles. 'Thousands of Eggs Discovered Alive': Underwater Volcano Reveals Massive Alien-Like Cluster That Leaves Marine Biologists Speechless Emptiness Might Explain Many Mysterious Concepts If the current research is successfully replicated in physical experiments, it could provide insights into physics beyond the Standard Model, including the nature of dark energy, the structure of spacetime, and interactions between light and matter at extreme energies. This research might even pave the way for technologies that control light with unprecedented precision. However, the quantum effects simulated in this study are incredibly delicate and challenging to observe in a noisy laboratory environment. Moreover, the powerful lasers involved could vaporize most materials, necessitating careful planning before conducting physical experiments. Simulations like this are invaluable as they help scientists determine the precise conditions required for such experiments before investing in costly, high-risk endeavors. The researchers now plan to apply their virtual approach to explore more exotic pulse shapes and laser beam patterns, using their simulations as a roadmap for future experiments. Ultimately, this research may help us transform the void of space into something tangible, beginning with a simple beam of light. The findings of this study are published in the journal Communications Physics. 'Confirmed for the First Time': Scientists Turn Light Into a Never-Before-Seen Solid With Reality-Bending Quantum Properties The Role of Advanced Simulations Advanced simulations have become crucial tools in modern scientific research, enabling scientists to explore phenomena that are currently beyond our experimental capabilities. In this study, the OSIRIS program allowed researchers to conduct detailed 3D simulations, providing insights into the behavior of virtual particles under extreme conditions. By simulating the effects of petawatt-level lasers, the team demonstrated how laser beams could interact with the quantum vacuum, leading to the creation of new light. These simulations not only offer a glimpse into the potential future of high-energy physics but also highlight the importance of computational models in advancing our understanding of complex scientific concepts. As technology continues to evolve, simulations will likely play an increasingly vital role in scientific discovery, helping researchers push the boundaries of what is possible and explore the mysteries of the universe. 'Super-Earth Could Host Life': Stunning New Planet Found in Habitable Zone Ignites Hopes of a Second Earth Beyond Our Solar System Implications for Future Research The successful simulation of light emerging from nothing opens new avenues for future research in quantum physics and beyond. This discovery challenges traditional notions of emptiness and suggests that the quantum vacuum is a dynamic realm filled with untapped potential. As scientists continue to explore the intricacies of the quantum vacuum, they may uncover new ways to manipulate light and energy, leading to breakthroughs in high-energy physics and advanced laser technology. Moreover, this research could inspire new theories about the fundamental nature of reality, prompting scientists to reevaluate existing models and explore uncharted territories in physics. As we push the boundaries of our understanding, the possibilities for innovation and discovery are boundless. How will these new insights into the quantum vacuum shape the future of science and technology, and what other hidden wonders might we uncover in the vast expanse of space? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.5/5 (29)
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Coherent Expands Factor Series Diode Pumps with Higher Power, Improved Efficiency, and New Wavelength Options
SAXONBURG, Pa., June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR), a global leader in photonics, today announces major enhancements to its FACTOR series of fiber-coupled diode pumps. The upgraded portfolio now offers increased output power, improved efficiency, and a wider locking range for pump modules at 976 nm. In addition, a new high-power pump module at 793 nm has been introduced to support growing demand in medical and industrial laser applications. OEM laser manufacturers can benefit significantly from the FACTOR series, which offers reliable performance through automated, in-house micro-optics assembly that ensures high consistency and reliability. Designed for effortless integration, the system simplifies handling and installation, making it easy to incorporate into existing OEM laser systems. Additionally, the FACTOR series is volume-ready, supporting scalable manufacturing to meet high-volume demands and align with planned production cycles. 'The FACTOR series is a cornerstone of our product portfolio, powering a wide range of solid-state lasers across diverse applications,' said Dr. Karlheinz Gulden, Senior Vice President, Laser Components and Subsystems at Coherent. 'These latest advancements further solidify the FACTOR series as a leading choice for OEM laser manufacturers.' The new FACTOR series is generally available. For more information, meet our team at Laser World of Photonics, Munich, 24-27 June or visit About Coherent Coherent empowers market innovators to define the future through breakthrough technologies, from materials to systems. We deliver innovations that resonate with our customers in diversified applications for the industrial, communications, electronics, and instrumentation markets. Coherent has research and development, manufacturing, sales, service, and distribution facilities worldwide. For more information, please visit us at Media Contact: innovations@ in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Light Squeezed Out of Darkness in Surprising Quantum Simulation
A careful alignment of three powerful lasers could generate a mysterious fourth beam of light that is throttled out of the very darkness itself. What sounds like occult forces at work has been confirmed by a simulation of the kinds of quantum effects we might expect to emerge from a vacuum when ultra-high electromagnetic fields meet. A team of researchers from the University of Oxford in the UK and the University of Lisbon in Portugal used a semi-classical equation solver to simulate quantum phenomena in real time and in three dimensions, testing predictions on what ought to occur when incredibly intense laser pulses combine in empty space. "This is not just an academic curiosity – it is a major step toward experimental confirmation of quantum effects that until now have been mostly theoretical," says Oxford physicist Peter Norreys. Laser technology has come a long way since its invention a little over half a century ago. Focussing petawatts of power in mere instants of time, they're theorized to be capable of literally shaking matter out of the very fabric of reality itself. What we think of as empty space is – on a quantum level – an ocean of possibility. Fields representing all kinds of physical interactions hum with the promise of particles we'd recognize as the foundations of light and the building blocks of matter itself. These virtual particles essentially pop into and out of existence in fractions of a second. All it takes for them to manifest longer-term is the right kind of physical persuasion that discourages them from canceling one another out; the kind of persuasion a series of strong electromagnetic fields might provide when arranged in a suitable fashion, for example. To determine whether predictions on the power of lasers could indeed generate something from nothing, Norreys and his team ran computational models based on the mathematics underpinning electromagnetic fields in a vacuum. Plugging numbers into their solver revealed that blending three suitably strong laser beams and their electromagnetic fields can generate a level of polarization that forces virtual photons to part before they blur out of existence. Known as four-wave mixing, the scattered photons would appear as a fourth beam of light. This kind of photon-photon scattering has long been predicted as possible, yet attempts to observe it in reality have so far proven ineffective. "By applying our model to a three-beam scattering experiment, we were able to capture the full range of quantum signatures, along with detailed insights into the interaction region and key time scales," says the study's lead author, physicist Zixin Zhang at Oxford. While the findings are all numerical for now, they do provide a more physically realistic description of what to expect than previous models. We may not need to wait all that long for the results to be put to the ultimate test either. The Extreme Light Infrastructure project in Romania is currently home to the world's most advanced high-power laser infrastructure, already achieving averages of around 10 petawatts in ultrashort bursts of light. Meanwhile, the EP-OPAL project at the University of Rochester in the US has two 25-petawatt beams in the works, with photon-photon scattering experiments already being planned. The Shanghai High repetition rate X-ray Free Electron Laser and Extreme light facility in China also hopes to smash records this year, aiming for 100 petawatts using its free-electron technology. Using nothing but photons to generate the necessary electromagnetic fields, it's hoped the light being scattered out of the darkness won't be hidden in a fog of other particles, finally proving once and for all that it is possible in physics to squeeze something out of nothing. This research was published in Communications Physics. Physicists Actually Made The 'World's Smallest Violin' For a Serious Reason Spiral Magnetism Seen in Synthetic Crystal For The First Time We've Been Misreading a Major Law of Physics For Nearly 300 Years
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Science
- The Independent
How physicists made ‘light from darkness' with longheld vacuum theory
Oxford University physicists have simulated how intense laser beams can alter vacuum, recreating a quantum physics phenomenon where vacuum is not empty but full of temporary particle pairs. Classical physics suggests light beams pass through each other undisturbed, but quantum mechanics posits that vacuum is filled with fleeting particles that scatter light. Simulations detailed in Communications Physics recreated a phenomenon where three focused laser pulses alter virtual particles in vacuum, generating a fourth laser beam in a 'light from darkness' process. The simulation used software called OSIRIS to model interactions between laser beams and matter, revealing that intense laser beams can agitate virtual particles and cause light particles to scatter. Physicists aim to conduct real-world laser experiments to confirm this quantum phenomenon, with the simulation potentially paving the way for studying hypothetical dark matter particles like axions and millicharged particles.
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Physicists prove long-held theory light can be made from nothingness of vacuum
Scientists have demonstrated after decades of theorising how light interacts with vacuum, recreating a bizarre phenomenon predicted by quantum physics. Oxford University physicists ran simulations to test how intense laser beams alter vacuum, a state once thought to be empty but predicted by quantum physics to be full of fleeting, temporary particle pairs. Classical physics predicts that light beams pass through each other undisturbed. But quantum mechanics holds that even what we know as vacuum is always brimming with fleeting particles, which pop in and out of existence, causing light to be scattered. The latest simulations, detailed in a study published in Communications Physics, recreated a strange phenomenon predicted by quantum physics. The theory predicts that the combined effect of three focused laser pulses can alter virtual particles in vacuum, generating a fourth laser beam in a 'light from darkness' process. 'This is not just an academic curiosity,' study co-author Peter Norreys said. 'It is a major step towards experimental confirmation of quantum effects that until now have been mostly theoretical.' Physicists used a simulation software package called OSIRIS to model interactions between laser beams and matter, giving them a peek into vacuum-light interactions that were previously out of reach. The simulations revealed that intense laser beams could agitate virtual particles and cause light particles to scatter off one another like billiard balls. They also showed how real-world factors such as imperfect beam alignment could influence the result. 'By applying our model to a three-beam scattering experiment, we were able to capture the full range of quantum signatures, along with detailed insights into the interaction region and key time scales,' said Zixin Zhang, another author of the new study. Physicists now hope to conduct real-world laser experiments to confirm the bizarre quantum phenomenon. The simulation experiment could also pave the way for more in-depth study of a range of theorised quantum effects in vacuum in other laser setups.
