Laser Creates Quantum Whirlpool

Quantus347 writes: Physicists at The Australian National Univ. (ANU) have engineered a spiral laser beam and used it to create a whirlpool of hybrid light-matter particles called polaritons. Polaritons are hybrid particles that have properties of both matter and light. The ability to control polariton flows in this way could aid the development of completely novel technology to link conventional electronics with new laser- and fiber-based technologies. Polaritons form in semiconductors when laser light interacts with electrons and holes (positively charged vacancies) so strongly that it is no longer possible to distinguish light from matter.

Comments

What, no Lightsaber jokes?

[Marxist Hacker 42]

Did I get first post?

Still, something tells me this is only a quantum effect, not macro

Holodeck!!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

Holodeck anyone!!!!!