Light can play seesaw at the nanoscale

Discovery is another step toward faster and more energy-efficient optical devices for computation and communication. University of Minnesota electrical engineering researchers have developed a unique nanoscale device that for the first time demonstrates mechanical transportation of light. The discovery could have major implications for creating faster and more efficient optical devices for computation and communication. The research paper by University of Minnesota electrical and computer engineering assistant professor Mo Li and his graduate student Huan Li has been published online and will appear in the October . Researchers developed a novel nanoscale device that can capture, measure and transport fundamental particles of light, called photons. The tiny device is just.7 micrometers by 50 micrometer (about.00007 by.005 centimeters) and works almost like a seesaw. On each side of the "seesaw benches," researchers etched an array of holes, called photonic crystal cavities.