Gravity affects us in many ways, but we may not think about it much on a daily basis.
However, researchers do If you think about it, it is said that the recently created crystals have the potential to be put to practical use all over the world.
We have proven Einstein’s theory of general relativity many times. This shows that gravity affects the trajectory of light. This is due to the distortion of space-time and acts like a magnifying glass.
This is one reason why researchers believed they might be able to create photonic crystals that produce “pseudogravity.”
Photonic crystals are materials that allow researchers to manipulate any light that passes through them. These are specifically created to contain patterns that allow a “traffic controller” to manage the movement of light.
The one in this particular project is called a distorted photonic crystal, and it’s made of silicon. They were able to introduce distortions that simulate the gravity of an object as massive as a black hole.
Lead author Kyo Kitamura, professor at Tohoku University Graduate School of Engineering, commented on the success:
“We set out to investigate whether lattice distortions in photonic crystals could create pseudo-gravitational effects. Just as gravity bends the trajectory of objects, we I have come up with a way to bend light within myself.”
They used terahertz waves (between infrared and microwave). They are already used in scientific, medical and security imaging, and can penetrate fabrics and plastics, making them a potential source of high-speed communications in the future.
The ability to guide these waves could provide insights into gravitational physics, including a better understanding of things like black holes.
Masayuki Fujita, another author of the study, says the practical applications are equally interesting.
“Such in-plane beam steering in the terahertz range could potentially be used in 6G communications. Academically, the discovery suggests that photonic crystals may be able to exploit gravitational effects, and that This shows that it has the potential to open new avenues in the field of physics.”
This seems like it could significantly change the way we understand and act in the future.
However, as with most cutting-edge science, only time will tell.
If you think this sounds impressive, check out this article about a lithium “gold mine” discovered in the US that could completely change the face of EV batteries.
