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The researchers presented a new approach to controlling lasers.
Scientists have developed a new method of deflecting laser beams using only air. According to a study published in the journal Nature Photonics, an invisible diffraction grating created from air is not only resistant to damage from laser radiation, but also preserves the original beam quality.
The innovative technique is based on the use of sound waves to modulate the air in the area of the laser beam passage. "We created an optical array using acoustic density waves," says lead author Yannick Schrödel of DESY and Helmholtz Institute Jena.
Special speakers allow scientists to create a pattern of regions of different densities in the air, forming a striped grid. Such a pattern acts as an optical grid, changing the direction of the laser beam, similar to how changes in the density of air in the Earth's atmosphere bend light.
According to Schrödel, this method of diffraction allows much more precise control of laser light than bending in the Earth's atmosphere.
In the first laboratory tests, it was possible to redirect a strong infrared laser pulse with an efficiency of 50%. Models predict the possibility of achieving higher performance in the future.
Scientists see the huge potential of this technique in the field of high-performance optics. In their experiments, they used infrared laser pulses with a power of 20 gigawatts. Lasers of this and higher power are used, for example, in material processing, thermonuclear fusion research, and the latest particle accelerators.
"At this power level, the material properties of mirrors and lenses significantly limit their use," says project manager Christoph Heyl. " In contrast, we were able to deflect laser beams, while maintaining their quality, without contact."
The principle of acoustic control of laser light in gases can be extended to other optical elements, such as lenses and waveguides.
In conclusion, Heyl added that modern optics are almost entirely based on the interaction of light with solid matter. "Our approach opens up a whole new direction."
Scientists have developed a new method of deflecting laser beams using only air. According to a study published in the journal Nature Photonics, an invisible diffraction grating created from air is not only resistant to damage from laser radiation, but also preserves the original beam quality.
The innovative technique is based on the use of sound waves to modulate the air in the area of the laser beam passage. "We created an optical array using acoustic density waves," says lead author Yannick Schrödel of DESY and Helmholtz Institute Jena.
Special speakers allow scientists to create a pattern of regions of different densities in the air, forming a striped grid. Such a pattern acts as an optical grid, changing the direction of the laser beam, similar to how changes in the density of air in the Earth's atmosphere bend light.
According to Schrödel, this method of diffraction allows much more precise control of laser light than bending in the Earth's atmosphere.
In the first laboratory tests, it was possible to redirect a strong infrared laser pulse with an efficiency of 50%. Models predict the possibility of achieving higher performance in the future.
Scientists see the huge potential of this technique in the field of high-performance optics. In their experiments, they used infrared laser pulses with a power of 20 gigawatts. Lasers of this and higher power are used, for example, in material processing, thermonuclear fusion research, and the latest particle accelerators.
"At this power level, the material properties of mirrors and lenses significantly limit their use," says project manager Christoph Heyl. " In contrast, we were able to deflect laser beams, while maintaining their quality, without contact."
The principle of acoustic control of laser light in gases can be extended to other optical elements, such as lenses and waveguides.
In conclusion, Heyl added that modern optics are almost entirely based on the interaction of light with solid matter. "Our approach opens up a whole new direction."
