Catching the Rainbow

The beauty of a rainbow of different colors, which often appear after the rain, can be captured by a material that can slow down the speed of light. New materials that efficiently absorb different frequencies of light was developed by a team of engineers from the University of Buffalo in the United States.

The engineers from University of Buffalo have created a more efficient way to catch rainbows, an advancement in photonics that could lead to technological breakthroughs in solar energy, stealth technology and other areas of research. (Picture from: http://phys.org/)

"It can be developed for solar panels, stealth aircraft technology, and other fields," said Qiaoqiang Gan, professor of electrical engineering who led the study. In a study published in the journal Scientific Reports on February 13, 2013 edition, the material is called Hyperbolic Metamaterial Waveguide is said to have a function like movie discs made ​​of metal, semiconductor, and insulator-sized ultra-thin.

Waveguide can withstand and absorb any frequency in a different light in the vertical direction. This allows the material to capture the "rainbow", which consists of various wavelengths. "Electromagnetic absorber has been studied for many years, mainly for military radar systems," said Gan. But realize the absorbent material of ultra-thin films is a challenge.

Gan and his team also is developing an ultra-thin films that will slow down the light, so that the absorption is much more efficient. Slowing down light is a crucial factor for photons (light particles) moving superfast. It is very difficult to tame photons without using frozen ingredients, such as cryogenic gases, which can only be used in the laboratory.

However, such artificial materials Gan changed all that. Waveguide provides a practical way for the engineer to slow and trap light, which in turn used in the real world. "The ability of these materials absorb different wavelengths, one infrared port, making it extremely useful to recycle the heat after the sun goes down," said Gan. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO  | LIVESCIENCE | MAHARDIKA SATRIA HADI | KORAN TEMPO 4153]

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