The University of Cambridge has demonstrated a new concept in detecting the light from the sun, showing how to convert it into visible light. Jeremy Baumberg is a credit of the Cambridge/ Ermanno Miele.
It's difficult to detect light beyond the visible red range of our eyes because of the lack of energy in the light. Unless specialized detectors are chilled to very low temperatures, this obscures the light.
The University of Cambridge has demonstrated a new concept in detecting the light from the sun, which is easily detected.
The team used a single layer of molecules to absorb the light from Spain and Belgium. The shaking molecule can give their energy to visible light and convert it to emissions closer to the blue end of the spectrum, which can be detected by modern visible-light cameras.
New low-cost ways to sense contaminants, track cancers, check gas mixtures, and remotely sense the outer universe are possible thanks to the results reported in the journal Science.
The researchers had to make sure the quaking molecule met the light quickly. "We had to squeeze light into crevices around gold to trap it," said first author Angelos Xomalis from Cambridge's Cavendish Laboratory.
The researchers used meta-materials that can twist and squeeze light into volumes a billion times smaller than a human hair to sandwich single layers between a mirror and gold.
"Trapping these different colors of light at the same time was hard, but we wanted to find a way that wouldn't be expensive and could easily produce practical devices," said co-author Dr.
Professor Jeremy Baumberg of the Cavendish Laboratory said that it was like listening to an earthquake with a violin string and a high whistle.
While it is early days, there are many ways to improve the performance of the inexpensive detectors, which will allow them to access rich information in this window of the spectrum.
Many technologies can benefit from this new detector advance, such as astronomy, human hormones, and early signs of cancer.
The research was done by a team from the University of Cambridge, KU Leuven, University College London and the Universitat Politcnica de Valncia.
Science has more information on detecting mid-infrared light by the use of dual-wavelength nanoantennas. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abk2593
Science journal information.
The color-changing magnifying glass gives a clear view of the light.
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