Squaring the circle—Breaking the symmetry of a sphere to control the polarization of light
Friday, September 4, 2020 - 08:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology and Institute of Photonic Sciences have developed a method to generate circularly polarized light from the ultimate symmetrical structure: the sphere. Their approach involves breaking the inherent symmetry of the sphere by electron beam excitation, which allows for precisely controlling the phase and polarization of the emitted light. This method can be used to encode information in the phase and polarization direction of circularly polarized light, enabling novel quantum communication and encryption technologies.