Researchers are exploring a new generation of computers that operate using light, or photons, instead of electrical currents. Systems that rely on light to store and process information could one day run far more efficiently and complete calculations much faster than conventional machines.
Light-driven computing is still at an early stage, and one of the main technical obstacles involves controlling tiny streams of light traveling through a chip. Rerouting these microscopic signals without weakening them requires carefully engineered materials. To keep signals strong, the hardware must include a lightweight substance that prevents stray light from entering from any direction. This type of material is known as an "isotropic bandgap material."
Scientists at New York University have identified a new material called "gyromorphs" that meets this challenge more effectively than any other known structure. Gyromorphs combine features normally associated with liquids and crystals, yet they exceed both in their ability to block incoming light from all angles. The discovery, reported in Physical Review Letters, introduces a fresh strategy for tuning optical behavior and could help advance the development of photonic computers.
"Gyromorphs are unlike any known structure in that their unique makeup gives rise to better isotropic bandgap materials than is possible with current approaches," says Stefano Martiniani, an assistant professor of physics, chemistry, mathematics and neural science, and the senior author of the study.
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