Laser Light May Display 'Liquid-Like' Properties

verona_beach writes "From Physics News: 'Spanish physicists have shown how the photons in a beam of laser light might be able to condense into "light droplets" with certain liquidlike properties.'"

Comments

Re:From the article ..

[Yarn]

I'm a physicist specalising in optics and photonics, and I'm also quite dubious about the application. Unfortunately the guy in the department who specialises in optical computing seems to be hiding so I can't get his comments.

The non-linear self focussing is real; I've seen nice bits of broken laser components where this has occured. The interaction they mention could also happen within a nonlinear material.

I can kinda see how the surface tension-like effects could occur, each photon disturbs the material it floats through, at certain powers you could imagine it making it easier for other photons to travel in its 'wake', making it clump up. (The difference between 'droplets' and 'solitons' is unclear to me. I play with lasers. Burn things good!)

I am dubious about the data storage. These droplets are still moving at a significant proportion of c, and presumably there is also loss.

I suppose you could have a ring EDFA* of a known circumference and push bits in, drop bits out. I'd love to try it :)

On the whole I'd say you're being overly cynical. The AIP is a well respected organisation.

* EDFA: erbium doped fibre amplifier, I'm sure you telecomms and big networking guys know. In this case it just makes sure the droplets don't 'evaporate'

Newer article

[Cybrr]

http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns999 92497 has simulated pics & more text.