Physics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln uses a new light source to look at everyday phenomena. The physicists created the brightest light on the planet. By focusing the laser to a brightness one billion times higher than the surface of the sun, we observed changes in the interaction between light and matter. These changes produce unique X-ray pulses, and it is possible to obtain extremely high-resolution images that are valuable for medical, engineering, scientific, and safety aspects. The team ’s detailed research results will benefit future experiments on high-intensity laser pointer.
Aurora Labs launched their lasers on helium suspended electrons to test how laser photons scatter from single electrons after impact. A scientist works at the Aurora Laboratory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Physicists used the brightest light source in the laboratory to change the way photons scatter from electrons. Image courtesy of Communication University | University of Nebraska Lincoln
Typically, when light from the bulb or the sun hits the surface, scattering phenomena make vision possible. But electrons usually only scatter one photon at a time. Ordinary electronics rarely enjoy this privilege and can only be called once every four months or so. Physicists at the University of Nebraska Lincoln used the most advanced light sources to obtain high-resolution X-ray USB drives. The image shows details that are not visible with normal X-ray imaging. Image courtesy of Aurora Labs | University of Nebraska Lincoln
Although previous laser experiments have scattered several photons from the same electron, the team can scatter nearly 1,000 photons at a time. Under the ultra-high intensity of the green laser pointer, the behavior of photons and electrons is different from usual. “When we use this unimaginable light, it turns out that through scattering-the principle that makes all objects visible-will fundamentally change,” Leland and Dorothy Olsen professor of physics and astronomy said .
When a photon from standard light strikes an electron, it usually scatters at the same angle and energy, no matter how bright its light is. However, the team found that after exceeding a certain threshold, the brightness of the laser changed the angle, shape, and wavelength of the scattered light. “Because you increase the brightness of the light, things seem to be different, and this is not what you usually encounter. (An object) usually gets brighter, but it looks like it is at a lower The light level. The light here is changing the appearance of the (object). The light appears at different angles and has different colors, depending on how bright it is. “