Controlling the rotation direction of light without complex new materials
A new pathway has opened for controlling the rotation direction of light simply by changing how molecules are arranged, without having to synthesize complex new materials. Circularly polarized light is a special form of light that travels while rotating like a pinwheel to the left or right. Because different rotation directions can carry different information, it is drawing attention as a key…
Controlling the rotation direction of light without complex new materials has been achieved by KAIST researchers. Circularly polarized light, which rotates like a pinwheel either to the left or right, is being explored for use in next-generation displays, optical communications, and security technologies. KAIST's research team, led by Professor Dong Ki Yoon, developed a technology to create microscopic pinwheel-like structures using symmetric nonchiral liquid crystal molecules.
By arranging these molecules into chiral pinwheels and applying an electric field, the team was able to permanently replicate the structures onto polymer nanofibers. This innovation allows for the control of circularly polarized light's rotation direction, which can carry different information. The study, published in Nature Communications, demonstrates that the properties of light can be controlled simply by changing the arrangement of molecules, rather than the light-emitting material itself.
This breakthrough could pave the way for the development of advanced optical devices and technologies without the need for complex new materials.
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