AMOLF researchers, in collaboration with Delft University of Technology, succeeded in bringing light waves to a halt by deforming the two-dimensional photonic crystal that contains them. The researchers showed that even a subtle deformation can have a substantial effect on photons in the crystal. This resembles the effect that a magnetic field has on electrons.
“This principle offers a new approach to slow down light fields and thereby enhance their strength. Realizing this on a chip is particularly important for many applications,” says AMOLF-group leader Ewold Verhagen. The researchers published their findings in the scientific journal Nature Photonics on April 23rd. Simultaneously, a research team from Pennsylvania State University published an article in this journal about how they demonstrated – independently from the Dutch team – an identical effect.
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