Engineers at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics have developed the world’s lightest mirror using a few hundred identical atoms. Even though the mirror’s surface is invisible to the naked eye, it’s a powerful new tool for quantum optical phenomena studies.
The mirror has a thickness of several tens of nanometers and has a diameter of around seven microns. Despite its tiny size, it requires an enormous two-ton machine with over a thousand optical components to create it. Using this machine, the engineers were able to artificially design a structure known as a metamaterial, comprising of a few hundred identical atoms that form a single structured layer.
The team used interfering laser beams to organize these atoms, so they form a two-dimensional array in a lattice shape. This procedure suppresses scattering of light and directs it into a steady beam while allowing incoming photons to bounce between the atoms before creating an ultra-strong reflection continuously. The findings are published in the journal Nature.
Doctoral researcher David Wei, the second author, said:
Many new exciting opportunities have been opened, such as an intriguing approach to study quantum optomechanics, which is a growing field of studying the quantum nature of light with mechanical devices. Or, our work could also help to create better quantum memories or even to build a quantum switchable optical mirror. Both of which are interesting advancements for quantum information processing.
The mirror’s lightweight and strong reflective properties open up new possibilities in the field of quantum theory, specifically those concerning the interaction between light, matter, and the physics of photons. Additionally, it could enable the making of new and advanced quantum devices.
