Liquid Crystals Slow Light Pulses to a Snail's Pace

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When a weak intensity and high intensity beam are aimed at a liquid crystal valve the output pulse is split into different diffracted pulses each showing a different group velocity. The images at left demonstrate image delay: image (a) is an original ...
When a weak intensity and high intensity beam are aimed at a liquid crystal valve, the output pulse is split into different diffracted pulses, each showing a different group velocity. The images at left demonstrate image delay: image (a) is an original image imposed on the input pulse, and image (b) is the image from an output pulse delayed by several milliseconds. Credit: S. Residori, et al.

In a vacuum, the speed of a light pulse is always a constant at 186,000 miles (300,000 km) per second. But by changing the medium through which light travels, physicists can slow down light pulses, and possibly create highly sensitive light interferometers, among other devices.


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