Darkness can travel faster than light
20 hours ago
- #Optics
- #Superluminal Phenomena
- #Topological Defects
- Dark points, known as optical phase singularities, within light waves can travel faster than the speed of light in vacuum, confirming a 50-year-old prediction.
- Researchers at Technion measured this using ultrafast transmission electron microscopy and advanced algorithms, achieving 20 nm spatial and 3 fs temporal resolution.
- The study observed phase singularities in hexagonal boron nitride, where they accelerate to superluminal speeds before annihilation, allowed due to being massless and carrying no energy or information.
- The findings extend universal theory on phase singularities, applicable across wave systems, potentially advancing super-resolution microscopy and atomic-scale imaging.
- Future work aims to explore 3D line singularities, higher-order topological defects, and optical skyrmions in 2D materials.