December 3rd, 2015 – Building objects with light to control light is possible, at least for researchers at the Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies (IFN-CNR), Nanoscience Institute (Nano-CNR) and Spin Institute of the National Research Council, who created a metamaterial molded with light and shown that it can function as a reversible and “re-programmable” optical device. The study, in collaboration with the Department of Physics of the University and Polytechnic of Bari and the University of Insubria, was published in Scientific Reports, a journal of the Nature group. Metamaterials are among the most recent and promising sectors in optics research. “We’re talking about artificial periodic structures on a smaller scale of the wavelength of light, alternating elements with very different refractive indexes – explained Gaetano Scamarcio of the IFN-CNR, who coordinated the research – materials with optical properties are designed ad-hoc because they don’t exist in nature, useful for creating new functions and new optical devices.” (Red)
