Scientists made light cross through gaps not in space, but time. The findings, published Monday in the journal Nature Physics, could lead to new, unusual ways to control light.

  • @gibmiser
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    1 year ago

    “The classic version of the double-slit experiment uses two openings in a physical barrier for light to squeeze through, this new device could switch how reflective it was to light. The researchers called these small temporary openings in the material “time slits.””

    I tried to read this and it sounds like bullshit trying to sound cool. They made light refract in a funny way and using a material that changed states really fast.

    Last I checked going really fast isn’t time travel…

    • rhythmisaprancer
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      1 year ago

      I’m definitely not a physicist, and there was a lot of extra fluff in the article. The journal abstract seems to focus on some different key points, but lacking knowledge of the ‘optical cycle’ and, well, physics, it does really seem to be about refraction.

      I guess I would like further interpretation as well!

    • @A_A
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      1 year ago

      I agree with you : The only time travel that light does in here is to go forward in time and keeping information from the past, like any other physical phenomenon does.
      … if this is so, then, one might ask, why would two photons separated in time create interference pattern with each other ?
      Here my understanding is that light photons (or waves) are not punctual in time, but rather occupies a given span of time. Though they are very short, these two photons interfere because some of their span in time overlap.