PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Solitons in a crystal

2013-12-27
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Nik Papageorgiou
n.papageorgiou@epfl.ch
41-789-400-620
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Solitons in a crystal Soliton water waves can travel several kilometers without any significant change in their shape or amplitude, as opposed to normal waves, which widen as they travel, and eventually disappear. Discovered over 150 years ago in water canals, solitons represent a surprising phenomenon of wave propagation and have been observed in natural phenomena including moving sand dunes and space plasmas. A unique aspect of solitons is that they can retain their shape because of non-linear and dispersive effects that stabilize the wave. Solitons can even occur as pulses of light that can propagate through a suitable transparent medium, e.g. an optical telecommunication fiber. Publishing in Nature Photonics, EPFL scientists collaborating with the Russian Quantum Center and the M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University have now discovered that so-called optical dissipative solitons can also exist in small millimeter-size optical resonators.

The optical resonators are crystals shaped to form a resonator that can guide a soliton light pulse on an endless circular path. When such a soliton light pulse circulates inside the resonator, a small fraction of it can be extracted every time the pulse completes one roundtrip.

The scientists at EPFL's Laboratory for Photonics and Quantum Measurement analyzed the extracted light pulses from the resonator and found them to be surprisingly short in duration; much shorter in fact than one millionth of one millionth of a second. Due to the small size of the optical resonator, the time between two extracted pulses is extremely short and the pulse rate very high.

Besides being of large scientific interest, the high rate of repeated ultra-short light pulses is important for many applications: In astronomy, it can be used to search for Earth-like planets, chemists can identify unknown substances, and the capacity of today's telecommunication networks can be boosted by orders of magnitude. Moreover, the solitons can be used for low-noise microwave generation or in future space-based optical clocks, significantly improving today's geo-navigation. Together with EPFL's Tech-Transfer Office, the scientists have applied for a patent and hope that their discovery will soon prove itself in one of its many applications.

### Reference: Herr T, Brasch V, Jost JD, Wang CY, Kondratiev NM, Gorodetsky ML and T. J. Kippenberg. 2013 Temporal solitons in optical microresonators. Nature Photonics, 22 December 2013.


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for Dec. 24, 2013

2013-12-27
Annals of Internal Medicine tip sheet for Dec. 24, 2013 Embargoed news from Annals of Internal Medicine 1. Unprecedented but Justified. Princeton meningitis outbreak calls for "compassionate use" of unlicenced vaccine In the wake of Princeton University's ...

In men, high testosterone can mean weakened immune response, Stanford study finds

2013-12-27
In men, high testosterone can mean weakened immune response, Stanford study finds STANFORD, Calif. — Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have linked high testosterone levels in men to a poor immune response to an influenza ...

Higher mortality in postmenopausal women with RA and anti-CCP antibodies

2013-12-27
Higher mortality in postmenopausal women with RA and anti-CCP antibodies New research shows mortality rates are two times higher in postmenopausal women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibodies. Findings published in the American ...

Acupuncture, real or sham, eases hot flashes due to breast cancer chemo

2013-12-27
Acupuncture, real or sham, eases hot flashes due to breast cancer chemo Both real and sham weekly acupuncture treatments eased hot flashes and other side effects of anticancer drug treatment in a small, preliminary study of breast cancer patients, Baltimore researchers ...

Both real and 'sham' acupuncture help ease side effects of widely used breast cancer drug

2013-12-27
Both real and 'sham' acupuncture help ease side effects of widely used breast cancer drug University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers found patients experienced improvement in hot flashes, other symptoms BALTIMORE – December ...

Study shows value of calcium scan in predicting heart attack, stroke among those considered at risk

2013-12-27
Study shows value of calcium scan in predicting heart attack, stroke among those considered at risk Coronary artery calcium testing trumps cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and other risk factors in predicting heart attacks and deaths A new study shows ...

Researchers identify gene that influences the ability to remember faces

2013-12-27
Researchers identify gene that influences the ability to remember faces New findings suggest the oxytocin receptor, a gene known to influence mother-infant bonding and pair bonding in monogamous species, also plays a special role in the ability to remember faces. ...

Inosine treatment safely elevates urate levels in Parkinson's disease patients

2013-12-27
Inosine treatment safely elevates urate levels in Parkinson's disease patients Phase 2 trial supports further investigation of urate's ability to slow disease progression A clinical trial assessing the potential of the nutritional supplement inosine to ...

Gene therapy method targets tumor blood vessels

2013-12-27
Gene therapy method targets tumor blood vessels Working in mice, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report developing a gene delivery method long sought in the field of gene therapy: a deactivated virus ...

Children at lower risk for peanut, tree nut allergies if moms ate more nuts while pregnant

2013-12-27
Children at lower risk for peanut, tree nut allergies if moms ate more nuts while pregnant Children appear to be less at risk for developing peanut or tree nut (P/TN) allergies if their mothers are not allergic and ate more nuts during pregnancy, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Ships trigger high and unexpected emissions of the greenhouse gas methane

Optimizing laser irradiation: An in-silico meta-analysis of skin discoloration treatment

Climate crisis could force wild vanilla plants and pollinating insects apart, threatening global supply

Teens report spending 21% of each driving trip looking at their phone

Study explores the ‘social norms’ of distracted driving among teens

Diver-operated microscope brings hidden coral biology into focus

Enhancing the “feel-good” factor of urban vegetation using AI and street view images

A single genetic mutation may have made humans more vulnerable to cancer than chimpanzees

Innovative nanocomposite hydrogel shows promise for cartilage regeneration in osteoarthritis treatment

2025 Guangci Laboratory Medicine Innovation and Development Conference

LabMed Discovery is included in the ICI World Journals database

LabMed Discovery is included in the China Open Access Journal (COAJ) database

Vaccination support program reduces pneumonia-related mortality by 25 percent among the elderly

Over decades, a healthy lifestyle outperforms metformin in preventing onset of Type 2 diabetes

Mental health disorders, malaria, and heart disease most affected by covid pandemic

Green transition will boost UK productivity

Billions voted in 2024, but major new report exposes cracks in global democracy

Researchers find “forever chemicals” impact the developing male brain

Quantum leap in precision sensing across technologies

Upgrading biocrude oil into sustainable aviation fuel using zeolite-supported iron-molybdenum carbide nanocatalysts

For effective science communication, ‘just the facts’ isn’t good enough

RT-EZ: A golden gate assembly toolkit for streamlined genetic engineering of rhodotorula toruloides

Stem Cell Reports announces five new early career editors

Support networks may be the missing link for college students who seek help for excessive drinking

The New England Journal of Medicine shines spotlight on forensic pathology

Scientists discover protein that helps lung cancer spread to the brain

Perceived social status tied to cardiovascular risks in women but not in men

Brain tumor growth patterns may help inform patient care management

This might be America's first campus tree inventory

Emoji use may impact relationship outcomes

[Press-News.org] Solitons in a crystal