From non-destructive imaging to computer chip manufacturing, people can exploit the seemingly physics-defying properties of quasiparticles. An international team of scientists has set out to reshape the fundamentals of radiation physics in the hope of developing ultra-powerful light sources.In a new study published in Nature Photonics, researchers from the Instituto Supérieur de Portugal (IST), the University of Rochester, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the French Laboratory of Optical Applications propose a way to use quasiparticles to create a light source that is as powerful as today's state-of-the-art light sources but smaller.
Quasiparticles are extraordinary entities formed by the synchronized movement of multiple electrons. Fascinatingly, they can fly at unparalleled speeds, even faster than the speed of light, and withstand unusually strong forces, similar to those found near black holes.
"The most fascinating thing about quasiparticles is that they can move in ways that are not allowed by the laws of single particle physics," said John Palastro, senior scientist in the Laser Energetics Laboratory, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and associate professor in the Institute of Optics.
Advanced Research and Potential Applications Palastro and his colleagues studied the unique properties of quasiparticles in plasma by running advanced computer simulations on supercomputers provided by the European High-Performance Computing Joint Undertaking. They see promising applications for quasiparticle-based light sources, including non-destructive imaging for scanning viruses, understanding biological processes such as photosynthesis, making computer chips, and exploring the behavior of matter in planets and stars.
"The flexibility is huge," said Bernardo Malaca, lead author of the study and a doctoral student at IST. "Although each electron is performing a relatively simple motion, the total radiation from all electrons can mimic the radiation from a particle moving faster than light or an oscillating particle, even though no local electron is moving faster than light or an oscillating electron."
Quasiparticle-based light sources offer clear advantages over existing forms such as free-electron lasers, which are scarce, bulky, and impractical for most laboratories, hospitals, and businesses. According to the theory proposed in this study, quasiparticles can produce extremely bright light by traveling only a very small distance, potentially triggering a wide range of scientific and technological advances in laboratories around the world.