Behold, The Antilaser

Behold, The Antilaser

From the article

Even though the antilaser absorbs perfectly, it does so only at specific wavelengths of light, making it unsuitable for applications like solar panels that take in a broad range of wavelengths. (Other, specially engineered materials called metamaterials can perform those kinds of absorptions.) But because the antilaser can switch from absorbing to nonabsorbing just by changing the wavelength of the incoming light, it could prove useful in optical switches — for instance in futuristic computer boards that will use light instead of electrons.

This is interesting (if you're a geek like me). Of course as with many new discoveries it is difficult to imagine the range of uses for this in future but one thing as mentioned in the article is for optical switches. Computing using light is becoming an increasingly popular area of research. It could lead to faster computers which run cooler, while saving energy.

a huge leap forward for quantum switches. this is very interesting to see.

if they can increase the wavelengths, imagine how effective it could be at gathering solar energy, though? Lets see how it moves forward. In the meantime, lets hope for some progress in the quantum computing world.

That is really cool! The article mentions that it's really clever and simple, and while I'm hardly a laser expert, I did take a one semester course on optics and lasers, so I know enough to say that yes this idea really is clever and simple!

An antilaser can probably switch at a much higher speed than any other method involving polarizing light, or at least certainly faster than any of the methods I can think of right now.

reply to post by ImaginaryReality1984


Consider the possibility of beaming energy from one location to another. With this, one could use a laser to beam energy in one direction where on the other end the energy is absorbed by say an antilaser and is put to use as useful energy. Im thinking wireless transmission of energy....through space.

Im thinking wireless transmission of energy....through space.

That sounds like a page from Tesla's book.

My first thought, sad though it may be, was as a defence for laser weapons.

Imagine a missile clad in meta material tuned to absorb the wavelength of weaponized lasers. It would render them invisible to the laser.

The same could be done to satellites, ships, tanks, etc.

Maybe the birth of Anti-missile defense defense. Well, counter measure would be a better description.

reply to post by ErEhWoN


To be perfectly honest, missile defense options or even defense against energy weapons was what first came to mind for me as well...lol

But I am trying to expand my ideas into the relm of helpfulness for everyone. hense the wireless transmission of energy. And although it does seem like Tesla stuff (big fan of Tesla myself half of my inspiration for that idea) It relies on completely different principles than Tesla's wireless transmission of electricity... If you really get technical about it.

yeah awesome. Too bad i didn't read about the absorbion only being able at specific wavelength's on the article i read. i was going to post a thread about it but you beat me too it ;-P