Researchers illuminate the hidden properties of light

32 photos: Step into the light
Kobe Luminarie, Japan – The
first Kobe Luminarie was conducted in December 1995. It was organized
to commemorate the Great Hanshin earthquake that had occurred earlier
that year.
Hide Caption
17 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Kobe Luminarie, Japan – The
festival, which illuminates a local shopping mall with 200,000 colorful
bulbs, runs for 12 days. This year, 3.25 million people were in
attendance.
Hide Caption
18 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Amsterdam Light Festival, Amsterdam – Amsterdam Light Festival is an annual light and arts festival.
Hide Caption
19 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Amsterdam Light Festival, Amsterdam – The festival features light installations that have been created in collaboration with international artists.
Hide Caption
20 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Amsterdam Light Festival, Amsterdam – Visitors can view the work through two routes: a walking tour and via boat.
Hide Caption
21 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Amsterdam Light Festival, Amsterdam – The
boat tour (referred to as the "Water Colors" option) is a 75-minute
boat trip which features an up-close look at the installations suspended
over the canals.
Hide Caption
22 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
SIGNAL festival, Prague – SIGNAL
festival is a festival of light that takes place annually in Prague,
featuring installations and collaborations with international artists.
Hide Caption
23 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
SIGNAL Festival, Prague – One
festival highlight is The Pool: an interactive installation by American
artist Jen Lewin. The Pool allows visitors to walk on top of light
installations placed on the floors.
Hide Caption
24 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
SIGNAL Festival, Prague – Evoluce,
another highlight, is a light installation that is projected onto
different surfaces. Evoluce is part of a larger series of light
projections, known as Evolució, and for the SIGNAL festival installation
it is projected onto the Santa Ludmila Church.
Hide Caption
25 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
SIGNAL Festival, Prague – The
Evoluce artwork is the brainchild of Onionlab, a multidisciplinary
studio based in Barcelona. The projected display is created using 3D
projection mapping techniques.
Hide Caption
26 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lights in Alingsås, Sweden – Currently in its 15th year running, the Lights in Alingsas is located in the town of Alingsas in Sweden.
Hide Caption
27 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lights in Alingsås, Sweden – The annual festival began when a group of architecture students were experimenting with different light installations.
Hide Caption
28 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lights in Alingsås, Sweden – Since then it has grown every year, and now has an attendance record of 80,000 visitors.
Hide Caption
29 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lux Helsinki, Finland – The Lux Helsinki lighting festival will be conducted in January 2016. It has been running for eight years.
Hide Caption
30 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lux Helsinki, Finland – The festival is conducted during the darkest time of year and will feature 16 installations in total.
Hide Caption
31 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lux Helsinki, Finland – The festival features art installations from local artists as well as artists from from Finland, France, Belgium and Canada.
Hide Caption
32 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Field of Light, Australia – British artist Bruce Munro has covered an Australian desert with over 50,000 light bulbs.
Hide Caption
1 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Field of Light, Australia – The color-changing installation is entirely solar powered.
Hide Caption
2 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
iLight Marina Bay, Singapore – The Singapore skyline is taken over by light installations as part of the city's annual iLight Marina Bay festival.
Hide Caption
3 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
iLight Marina Bay, Singapore – This festival features 25 artworks in total.
Hide Caption
4 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
iLight Marina Bay, Singapore – This
piece by Chinese artists Feng Jiacheng and Huang Yuanbei is responsive
to its environment. The artwork brightens when the surrounding air
quality is good, and dims when it is not.
Hide Caption
5 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lunar Lantern Festival, Taiwan – The Taiwan Lantern Festival has been held every year since 1989.
Hide Caption
6 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lunar Lantern Festival, Taiwan – It is celebrated as part of lunar new year.
Hide Caption
7 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Auckland Lantern Festival, New Zealand – The Auckland Lantern Festival is currently in its 17th year, and attracts thousands of spectators.
Hide Caption
8 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Auckland Lantern Festival, New Zealand – The four day festival is timed to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Hide Caption
9 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lumiere London, England – A
four-day light festival kicked off in the English capital on January
2016, and features the work of 30 global artists. One highlight is the
"1.8 London" structure by American artist Janet Echelman, which is
constructed using fishing nets and suspended above Oxford Circus.
Hide Caption
10 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lumiere London, England – The
Les Voyageurs (The Travellers) series by Parisian artist Cedric Le
Borgne sees human figures float silently in mid-air or perched on the
edges of buildings.
Hide Caption
11 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lumiere London, England – These figures were around the St. James area of London's West End.
Hide Caption
12 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
GLOW Eindhoven, Netherlands – Currently in its 10th year, the GLOW Eindhoven festival is an exhibition of art made with light.
Hide Caption
13 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
GLOW Eindhoven, Netherlands – It
is conducted in the City of Eindhoven in the Netherlands. There were
730,000 people in attendance at GLOW Eindhoven in the last year.
Hide Caption
14 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
GLOW Eindhoven, Netherlands – One
of the highlights of GLOW Eindhoven is the Luminarie de Cagna, created
by a family of artists. The team behind it is led by Italian artist
Cesario De Cagna and his three sons.
Hide Caption
15 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Kobe Luminarie, Japan – Kobe Luminarie is an annual lighting festival held in Kobe, Japan.
Hide Caption
16 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Kobe Luminarie, Japan – The
first Kobe Luminarie was conducted in December 1995. It was organized
to commemorate the Great Hanshin earthquake that had occurred earlier
that year.
Hide Caption
17 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Kobe Luminarie, Japan – The
festival, which illuminates a local shopping mall with 200,000 colorful
bulbs, runs for 12 days. This year, 3.25 million people were in
attendance.
Hide Caption
18 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Amsterdam Light Festival, Amsterdam – Amsterdam Light Festival is an annual light and arts festival.
Hide Caption
19 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Amsterdam Light Festival, Amsterdam – The festival features light installations that have been created in collaboration with international artists.
Hide Caption
20 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Amsterdam Light Festival, Amsterdam – Visitors can view the work through two routes: a walking tour and via boat.
Hide Caption
21 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Amsterdam Light Festival, Amsterdam – The
boat tour (referred to as the "Water Colors" option) is a 75-minute
boat trip which features an up-close look at the installations suspended
over the canals.
Hide Caption
22 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
SIGNAL festival, Prague – SIGNAL
festival is a festival of light that takes place annually in Prague,
featuring installations and collaborations with international artists.
Hide Caption
23 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
SIGNAL Festival, Prague – One
festival highlight is The Pool: an interactive installation by American
artist Jen Lewin. The Pool allows visitors to walk on top of light
installations placed on the floors.
Hide Caption
24 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
SIGNAL Festival, Prague – Evoluce,
another highlight, is a light installation that is projected onto
different surfaces. Evoluce is part of a larger series of light
projections, known as Evolució, and for the SIGNAL festival installation
it is projected onto the Santa Ludmila Church.
Hide Caption
25 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
SIGNAL Festival, Prague – The
Evoluce artwork is the brainchild of Onionlab, a multidisciplinary
studio based in Barcelona. The projected display is created using 3D
projection mapping techniques.
Hide Caption
26 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lights in Alingsås, Sweden – Currently in its 15th year running, the Lights in Alingsas is located in the town of Alingsas in Sweden.
Hide Caption
27 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lights in Alingsås, Sweden – The annual festival began when a group of architecture students were experimenting with different light installations.
Hide Caption
28 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lights in Alingsås, Sweden – Since then it has grown every year, and now has an attendance record of 80,000 visitors.
Hide Caption
29 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lux Helsinki, Finland – The Lux Helsinki lighting festival will be conducted in January 2016. It has been running for eight years.
Hide Caption
30 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lux Helsinki, Finland – The festival is conducted during the darkest time of year and will feature 16 installations in total.
Hide Caption
31 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lux Helsinki, Finland – The festival features art installations from local artists as well as artists from from Finland, France, Belgium and Canada.
Hide Caption
32 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Field of Light, Australia – British artist Bruce Munro has covered an Australian desert with over 50,000 light bulbs.
Hide Caption
1 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Field of Light, Australia – The color-changing installation is entirely solar powered.
Hide Caption
2 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
iLight Marina Bay, Singapore – The Singapore skyline is taken over by light installations as part of the city's annual iLight Marina Bay festival.
Hide Caption
3 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
iLight Marina Bay, Singapore – This festival features 25 artworks in total.
Hide Caption
4 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
iLight Marina Bay, Singapore – This
piece by Chinese artists Feng Jiacheng and Huang Yuanbei is responsive
to its environment. The artwork brightens when the surrounding air
quality is good, and dims when it is not.
Hide Caption
5 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lunar Lantern Festival, Taiwan – The Taiwan Lantern Festival has been held every year since 1989.
Hide Caption
6 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lunar Lantern Festival, Taiwan – It is celebrated as part of lunar new year.
Hide Caption
7 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Auckland Lantern Festival, New Zealand – The Auckland Lantern Festival is currently in its 17th year, and attracts thousands of spectators.
Hide Caption
8 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Auckland Lantern Festival, New Zealand – The four day festival is timed to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Hide Caption
9 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lumiere London, England – A
four-day light festival kicked off in the English capital on January
2016, and features the work of 30 global artists. One highlight is the
"1.8 London" structure by American artist Janet Echelman, which is
constructed using fishing nets and suspended above Oxford Circus.
Hide Caption
10 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lumiere London, England – The
Les Voyageurs (The Travellers) series by Parisian artist Cedric Le
Borgne sees human figures float silently in mid-air or perched on the
edges of buildings.
Hide Caption
11 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Lumiere London, England – These figures were around the St. James area of London's West End.
Hide Caption
12 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
GLOW Eindhoven, Netherlands – Currently in its 10th year, the GLOW Eindhoven festival is an exhibition of art made with light.
Hide Caption
13 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
GLOW Eindhoven, Netherlands – It
is conducted in the City of Eindhoven in the Netherlands. There were
730,000 people in attendance at GLOW Eindhoven in the last year.
Hide Caption
14 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
GLOW Eindhoven, Netherlands – One
of the highlights of GLOW Eindhoven is the Luminarie de Cagna, created
by a family of artists. The team behind it is led by Italian artist
Cesario De Cagna and his three sons.
Hide Caption
15 of 32

32 photos: Step into the light
Kobe Luminarie, Japan – Kobe Luminarie is an annual lighting festival held in Kobe, Japan.
Hide Caption
16 of 32
































Story highlights
- "We thought it was impossible for a photon to send you halfway round," scientist Paul Eastham says
- Light, it seems, doesn't necessarily conform to the rules we thought it did
(CNN)When it comes to understanding light, it turns out we're more in the dark than we thought.
Researchers
in Ireland have reported that they discovered a "new form" of light,
and, in a press release, say that their discovery "will impact our
understanding of the fundamental nature of light." The discovery was published in the scientific journal "Science Advances."
The
recent discovery by physicists at Ireland's Trinity College Dublin
could alter our established thinking of how a key aspect of light -- its
angular momentum -- is understood.
Angular
momentum is a measurement of how something rotates around its own axis,
which light is known to do. Essentially, as photons -- tiny particles
of light -- travel through space, they twist and turn around their axes.
Previously
it was thought that light's angular momentum was a constant, but the
team at Trinity discovered that under certain conditions, it only spins
around its axis half as much as it should.
Light, it seems, doesn't necessarily conform to the rules we thought it did. This could mean big things, the researchers say.
"It's
a bit like a tiny, light merry-go-round at a playground. It goes round
and round, which is more or less they way people understood light to
work. We thought it was impossible for a photon to send you halfway
round, but it turns out, it's not," lead researcher Paul Eastham told
CNN.
"What I think is so exciting
about this result is that even this fundamental property of light, that
physicists have always thought was fixed, can be changed," he said.
"But
this science is in a very early stage -- the next stage is to work out
the consequences, how this could be used in everyday life," Eastham
said.
Eastham suggested that the
discovery could have implications for telecommunications and privacy.
The nature of these newly found photons are by nature harder to crack,
meaning they could deliver data without such a high threat of a third
party snooping. It could be used in fiber-optic cables to improve speed
and security.
'Breakthrough' for physics
The
research was the product of collaboration between the university's
School of Physics and its Center for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures
and Nanodevices (CRANN).
Director of CRANN Stefano Sanvito called the work "fundamental scientific research that challenges our understanding of light.
"The
topic of light has always been one of interest to physicists, while
also being documented as one of the areas of physics that is best
understood. This discovery is a breakthrough for the world of physics
and science alike."

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