Researchers Unlock Light-Matter Interactions on Subnanometer Scales

Researchers at Purdue University have discovered waves with picometer-scale spatial variations of electromagnetic fields that can propagate in semiconductors like silicon. The findings demonstrate that natural media host a variety of light-matter interaction phenomena at the atomistic level. The use of picophotonic waves in semiconducting materials may lead researchers to design new, functional, optical devices, allowing for applications in quantum technologies.