Optical Physics Advances on Spiraling Glass Fibers Provide New Way to Control Behavior of Light

By twisting fiber optic strands into helical shapes, researchers have created unique structures that can precisely filter, polarize or scatter light. Compatible with standard fiber optic lines, these hair-like structures may replace bulky components in sensors, gyroscopes and other devices.
While researchers are still probing the unusual properties of the new fibers, tests show the strands impart a chiral, or 'handed', character to light by polarizing photons according to certain physical properties.
Victor Kopp of Chiral in Clifton, N.J., and his colleagues describe the new fibers in the July 2 issue of Science.

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All News summaries for July 01, 2004