A team of international physicists believes that they have discovered a way to achieve the same microscopic visibility as superjaric light sources but with a much smaller device. Their concept involves utilizing quasi-playing particle-like entities that arise from complex interactions of other particles. If this concept can be developed into working technology, it could provide researchers with even greater visibility of the smallest structures they study, including viruses, computer chips, photosynthesis, and the chemistry of stars.
Quasi-players are coherent systems that can be formed when mediums are disturbed or excited. Despite being formed by a collective effort, they can be considered as discrete particles due to their stable properties, such as charge, mass, energy, size, shape, and pulse. They are even capable of moving faster than light in the same environment.
“The most remarkable aspect of quasi-fighting lies in their ability to move in a way that would be prohibited by the laws of physics governing individual particles,” says physicist and co-author John Palast.
Researchers have demonstrated that it is theoretically possible to create a top-light beam using quasigipettes inside a plasma laser, generating wavelengths between the infrared and ultraviolet parts of the spectrum.
“Such progress could bring research and technologies that are currently only available in a few free electronic lasers worldwide directly to many universities, hospitals, and industrial laboratories,” the researchers wrote.
Source: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-023-01311-Z