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A team of researchers from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has successfully demonstrated, for the first time, that it is possible to control the speed of light – both slowing it down and speeding it up – in an optical fiber, using off-the-shelf instrumentation in normal environmental conditions. Their results, to be published in the August 22 issue of Applied Physics Letters, could have implications that range from optical computing to the fiber-optic telecommunications industry.
On the screen, a small pulse shifts back and forth – just a little bit.
This discovery is significant because it challenges one of the fundamental laws of physics - the speed of light. It opens up new possibilities for scientists to explore and potentially revolutionize our understanding of the universe.
The French scientists used a technique called "ultrafast laser pulses" to manipulate the properties of a specific material, allowing them to control the speed of light passing through it.
This discovery could have applications in various fields, such as improving data transmission speeds, developing advanced imaging techniques, and creating new technologies for quantum computing.
No, this discovery does not mean that the speed of light can be exceeded. The scientists were able to slow down or speed up the light within a specific material, but the speed of light in a vacuum remains constant at 299,792,458 meters per second.
The next step for this research is to further study and understand how this manipulation of light speed can be applied in different materials and environments. This could lead to even more groundbreaking discoveries and advancements in the field of physics.