Shadows happen when light hits an object that blocks it. For example, when light hits a wall, it creates a shadow on the ground.
Recently, scientists found something surprising. A laser can make its surroundings dark, almost like it creates its own shadow. When two laser beams cross in a special way, one beam can block the other. This creates a shadowed line on a surface.
Physicist Raphael Abrahão from Brookhaven National Laboratory explains this new finding makes us think differently about shadows.
Normally, light waves pass through each other without blocking. But in this experiment, two beams of light interacted differently because of a special material called ruby.
Abrahão and his team used a blue laser and a green laser. The blue laser shone through the ruby while the green laser crossed it. The blue light was blocked where the green light fell, creating a dark line.
This line is a real shadow. It moved with the green laser when it was moved. This discovery could help in new technology, like controlling light in different ways.
Vocabulary List:
- Shadow /ˈʃæd.oʊ/ (noun): A dark area produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
- Laser /ˈleɪ.zɚ/ (noun): A device that generates an intense beam of coherent monochromatic light.
- Interact /ˌɪn.təˈrækt/ (verb): To act upon or influence each other.
- Material /məˈtɪr.i.əl/ (noun): The substance or substances of which a thing is made.
- Discovery /dɪsˈkʌv.ər.i/ (noun): The act of finding or learning something for the first time.
- Technology /tɛkˈnɒl.ə.dʒi/ (noun): The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes especially in industry.
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