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Light Resonators Used To Move Nano-Sized Objects

Posted by timothy on from the tiny-stuff dept.

ElectricSteve writes "Scientists at Cornell University report they can now use a light beam carrying a single milliwatt of power to move objects and even change the optical properties of silicon from opaque to transparent at the nanometric scale." As the article says, such an advancement "could prove very useful for the future of micro-electromechanical (MEMS) and micro-optomechanical (MOMS) systems."

10 of 63 comments (clear)

  1. missing tag by fivethreeo · · Score: 5, Funny

    transparent aluminum

    1. Re:missing tag by middlemen · · Score: 5, Funny

      single MOMS

    2. Re:missing tag by nacturation · · Score: 4, Funny

      Micro Inductive Light Force?

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  2. How nice. by SEWilco · · Score: 4, Funny

    This story moves me slightly.

  3. That's nothing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You should see how my laser pointer makes the cat move!

  4. Future switching? by sander · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I wonder if this will be used in future optical routers and switches or even processors - if the opaque-transparent (and back) switch happens fast enough, you could easily do a very large number of parallel on-off switches to optical pathways. No need for lots of MEMS/MOMS mirrors any more.

    Imagine a nanoscale thinking machines cm-5, except the light panels would then actually be part of the computation, controlling which nodes are on or off.

    1. Re:Future switching? by NoYob · · Score: 4, Informative

      I was thinking of tractor beams, myself.

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  5. Next Week by Hatta · · Score: 4, Funny

    Heavy Resonators Used To Move Mega-sized Objects

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  6. Telekinesis! by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 4, Funny
    Less than a single milliwatt of power in a beam that moves things? Could this be the basis for the wide spread reports about telekinesis.?

    Anyone who thinks it is telekinesis, please raise my hand.

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  7. Re:1 mW is just a single milliwatt? by martas · · Score: 4, Funny

    CLICK TO MEET SINGLE MILLIWATTS IN YOUR AREA!!!!!!

    oh damn, apparently /. filter doesn't have a sense of humor, so I can't post that... maybe now I can? yes!

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