From LiveScience:
Like your shoelaces or electrical cords, light can get twisted into
knots. Now, scientists have used a computer-controlled hologram and
theoretical physics to turn a light beam into pretzel-like shapes.
The twisted feat not only led to some pretty cool
images, but the results have implications for future laser devices,
the researchers say.
“In a light
beam, the flow of light through space is similar to water flowing
in a river,” said lead researcher Mark Dennis of the University of
Bristol in England. Even though the light from something like a laser
pointer travels in a straight line, it can also flow in whirls and
eddies, Dennis explained.
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