New theory could open potent new applications for light

One bar, two bars - it's an all-too-common problem. You're in a large building, driving in a remote area, or even right in the middle of a big city, but you can't stream video, check email or even make a phone call - because your cellular signal is weak. But the future may be different. University of Wisconsin-Madison electrical engineers have devised a new fundamental understanding that someday could lead to vast improvements in devices that gather or deliver information at any wavelength. Led by Zongfu Yu , professor of electrical and computer engineering at UW-Madison, the researchers published details of their theory in the Nov. 9, 2017, issue of. UW-Madison electrical engineers have devised a new fundamental understanding that someday could lead to vast improvements in such things as the strength of cellphone signals.