For the first time in history, there is a new photon or particle that has been revealed by a team of researchers in the United Kingdom. This particle shapes the universe and the research by the Birmingham University gives more on the nature of photons.
The particle that shapes the universe
Despite various theories circulating in the world, researchers are working hard to define the precise shape of a single photon for the very first time.
Led by the University of Birmingham and published in Physical Review Letters, the study dives deep into the intricate nature of photons – the fundamental particles of light.
This new theory that explains how light and matter interact at the quantum level has enabled modern day researchers to define for the first time the precise shape of a single photon.
The study also explores the nature of photons (individual particles of light) in unprecedented detail, this is to reveal how they are emitted by atoms or molecules and shaped by their environment.
Phys.com published an article that the nature of this interaction leads to infinite possibilities for light to exist and propagate, or travel, through its surrounding environment.
“This limitless possibility, however, makes the interactions exceptionally hard to model, and is a challenge that quantum physicists have been working to address for several decades,” reported the publication as it quoted Dr. Benjamin Yuen.
Based at Birmingham University’s School of Physics, he explained that their calculations enabled them to convert a seemingly insolvable problem into something that can be computed.
“And, almost as a byproduct of the model, we were able to produce this image of a photon, something that hasn’t been seen before in physics,” he added.
The co-author, Professor Angela Demetriadou, also at the University of Birmingham, said: “The geometry and optical properties of the environment have profound consequences for how photons are emitted, including defining the photons’ shape, color, and even how likely it is to exist.”
The Moment also understands that by “shapes the universe”, it is all about referring that the particle makes it possible to see (photon transmit light) and that, by “hunted”, it means referencing that “we now know the exact shape.”
The significance of the research on particles
Tech Explorist reports that this study or research is significant as it paves the way for novel studies in quantum physics and materials science.
“By accurately characterizing how photons engage with matter and their surrounding elements, researchers can create innovative nanophotonic technologies that have the potential to transform secure communication, pathogen detection, or the regulation of chemical reactions at a molecular scale, for instance,” writes Ashwini Saharkar.
Yuen also added that their work helps “us to increase our understanding of the energy exchange between light and matter, and secondly to better understand how light radiates into its nearby and distant surroundings.”
In addition, it is mentioned that lots of this information had previously been thought of as just ‘noise’.
“However, there’s so much information within it that we can now make sense of and make use of,” he added.
“By understanding this, we set the foundations to be able to engineer light-matter interactions for future applications, such as better sensors, improved photovoltaic energy cells, or quantum computing.
“The geometry and optical properties of the environment have profound consequences for how photons are emitted, including defining the photon’s shape, color, and even how likely it is to exist.”
Apart from their findings, the University of Birmingham’s research and their advanced calculations “have allowed them to create a vivid visualization of the photon itself, representing a significant leap in our understanding of light,” concluded The Explorist.