‘Twisted’ light could illuminate new path for wireless communications

Scientists have taken an important step towards using “twisted” light as a form of wireless, high-capacity data transmission which could make fibre-optics obsolete.

Scientists can “twist” photons – individual particles of light – by passing them through a special type of hologram, similar to that on a credit card, giving the photons a twist known as optical angular momentum.

While conventional digital communications use photons as ones and zeroes to carry information, the number of intertwined twists in the photons allows them to carry additional data – something akin to adding letters alongside the ones and zeroes. The ability of twisted photons to carry additional information means that optical angular momentum has the potential to create much higher-bandwidth communications technology.

Read more at University of Glasgow

Image Credit: University of Glasgow

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