. 24/7 Space News .
CHIP TECH
Polarization has strong impact on electrons, study shows
by Staff Writers
Onna, Japan (SPX) Apr 17, 2018

Custom-designed vacuum chamber that contains electrons above the condensed helium. The microwaves are introduced into the chamber through a waveguide and focused onto the electrons by a spherical mirror.

The movement of thousands of negatively charged atomic particles - electrons - makes modern electronics tick. Yet, ubiquitous as electrons are, the particulars of their behavior continue to stump physicists. One phenomenon has proven especially puzzling: how electrons move under the influence of polarized electromagnetic waves.

Polarization occurs when waves, such as electromagnetic or light waves, rotate. Electromagnetic fields called microwaves have a rotating electric field that turns clockwise or counter-clockwise, and most theories predict that microwaves will affect the rotation of electrons. And yet, experimental studies have shown that electrons seem to be unaffected by microwave polarization. These theory-defying results have long perplexed physicists.

A new study by researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) may explain this disparity. In the work, the OIST researchers measured electrical current across a two-dimensional plane.

By changing the polarization of microwaves, the researchers were able to show that polarization does indeed affect the electrons' motion. Their findings were published in Physical Review Letters.

"It is natural to expect that the effect will be strongest when both electrons and microwave fields rotate in the same direction, and will be strongly reduced when the directions of their rotation is opposite," said Denis Konstantinov, senior author on that paper and head of OIST's Quantum Dynamics Unit. That is indeed what Konstantinov and his team found.

The team from OIST collaborated on the study with researchers at the Institute of Low Temperature Physics and Engineering in Ukraine. While a colleague in Ukraine developed a mathematical framework to test leading theories within the researchers' framework, scientists at OIST tested them experimentally.

In previous experiments, the electrons' movement was studied in solid-state materials such as semiconductors. But these materials contain impurities that are impossible to eliminate and that can interfere with results.

So the researchers created a system that closely mimics the function of a semiconductor by using liquid helium. It consists of electrons on the surface of liquid helium enclosed in a vacuum chamber and cooled to temperatures close to absolute zero - roughly -273 Celsius.

"Nothing is ideal in a solid state," said Konstantinov. "That's why our system is nice - now we can eliminate all these impurities and defects."

Helium possesses a unique ability: it remains a liquid, even in temperatures reaching absolute zero. Meanwhile, any other compounds (impurities within the helium) freeze, clinging to the walls of its container. At such low temperature, the electrons at the helium's surface become "quantized" - the motion of electrons perpendicular to the liquid is "frozen out" into a two-dimensional space, said Konstantinov.

In this system, when the researchers sent circular-polarized microwaves down through this layer of electrons and induced the electrons to rotate in the same direction as the rotation of microwave field, the measured current of electrons started oscillating with the applied magnetic field. When they reversed the rotation of electrons by switching the direction of magnetic field, the oscillation significantly weakened. The researchers observed the same behavior by reversing the direction of rotation of the microwave field while keeping rotation of the electrons unchanged.

That means that electrons are indeed affected by polarization of these electromagnetic waves. Still, more work remains to be done to understand why exactly these particles behave the way they do, said Oleksiy Zadorozhko, first author on the paper and a postdoctoral researcher at OIST.

"At the moment we can't yet point to which of the many theories is the primary one," he said. "Our next step is a more detailed study of this."

Research paper


Related Links
Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University
Computer Chip Architecture, Technology and Manufacture
Nano Technology News From SpaceMart.com


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


CHIP TECH
Mini toolkit for measurements: New NIST chip hints at quantum sensors of the future
Washington DC (SPX) Apr 11, 2018
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have created a chip on which laser light interacts with a tiny cloud of atoms to serve as a miniature toolkit for measuring important quantities such as length with quantum precision. The design could be mass-produced with existing technology. As described in Optica, NIST's prototype chip was used to generate infrared light at a wavelength of 780 nanometers, precisely enough to be used as a length reference for calibrating ot ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

CHIP TECH
'Ideas' conference to grapple with dark side of tech

Virgin Galactic completes first rocket-powered Unity space craft launch

Cargo-packed Dragon arrives at space station

SpaceX Dragon arrives at ISS with material samples and new testing facility

CHIP TECH
Deep Space Industries to provide Comet satellite propulsion for BlackSky, LeoStella

Ariane 5 launches two satellites

Rocket Lab 'Its Business Time' launch window to open 20 April 2018 NZT

Student Launch Teams Rendezvous in Huntsville for NASA Competition

CHIP TECH
ExoMars poised to start science mission

UAH gets NASA early-stage funding for "Marsbees" concept

MIPT physicists design a model of Martian winter

NASA's Idea to Send Swarm of Robots to Mars

CHIP TECH
China's 'space dream': A Long March to the moon

China says Earth-bound space lab to offer 'splendid' show

Tiangong-1 expected to burn up on reentering atmosphere

Earth-bound Chinese spacelab plunging to fiery end

CHIP TECH
Storm hunter launched to International Space Station

SpaceX says Iridium satellite payload deployed

Spacecom selects SSL to build AMOS-8 comsat with advanced capabilities

Relativity Space raises 35M in Series B funding

CHIP TECH
Thin engineered material perfectly redirects and reflects sound

'Everything-repellent' coating could kidproof phones, homes

Programming: a highly sought talent in Silicon Valley

Swansea scientists discover greener way of making plastics

CHIP TECH
First Interdisciplinary Conference on Habitability in early solar system

Outback Radio Telescope Listens In on Interstellar Visitor

Artificial intelligence helps to predict likelihood of life on other worlds

Planet hunter TESS will also help astronomers study stars

CHIP TECH
SSL to provide of critical capabilities for Europa Flyby Mission

Jupiter's turmoil more than skin deep: researchers

New Horizons Chooses Nickname for 'Ultimate' Flyby Target

Jupiter's Great Red Spot getting taller as it shrinks









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.