Researchers Shrink Dimensions in Which Light Can Be Confined

The degree to which light can be confined determines the intensity and precision of light-based devices. It also sets the limits within which nanoparticles can be observed. For these reasons, finding ways to confine and control light in ever smaller volumes is an ongoing challenge for the photonics community. Scientists from the University of Southampton, in collaboration with colleagues at the Technical University of Dortmund and the University of Regensburg, have demonstrated that a light beam can be confined to a spot that is 50× smaller than its own wavelength. In a first-of-its-kind demonstration, the researchers said, the team further showed that the spot can be moved by miniscule amounts at the point where the...