Plastic Does the Impossible: Bends Light Sharply and Paves Way For Optic Computing

Could 2015 signal the coming of next generation computers and electronics that use light instead of electrons? Researchers from University of Texas at El Paso and University of Central Florida think so.

Their invention, a plastic lattice, is able to bend light at right angles. This feat, considered impossible until recently, opens the door to computers which work on light and not electrons. Given light's higher speed of travel, such devices are bound to be a lot faster and efficient, besides being smaller, as light can be guided through smaller conduits than the relatively larger channels on present-generation microprocessors.

"The name of the game is being able to control these light waves. And we were able to do just that, with unprecedented success," said Javier Pazos, an alumnus of University of Texas at El Paso, who was part of the research team.

Bending light sharply is difficult to accomplish without disturbing the beam's integrity. Optic fibers which guide light, manage to bend it gradually. By bending light at right angles, the size of light-carrying medium can be significantly reduced.

The team's invention is making heads turn as it is inexpensive and easy to manufacture. The lattice can bend light on both flat and curved surfaces, widening its range of applications.

"The fact that we can do this with a simple plastic - an epoxy - is a pretty big deal. Normally, you need an exotic, unheard of material to even attempt this," Pazos said.