Just when scientists thought they knew everything about crystals, a Northwestern University and University of Wisconsin-Madison collaboration has uncovered a hidden secret. Centrosymmetric crystals ...

Optical microscope image of a representative crystal that possesses centrosymmetry, yet shows differential absorption of circularly polarized light. The crystal is made of lithium, cobalt, selenium ...

Spectroscopy, a branch of the physical sciences, investigates the interactions between electromagnetic radiation and matter. It involves analyzing how light interacts with a sample—whether through ...

A group of physicists from Russia, Sweden, and the U.S. has demonstrated a highly unusual optical effect: They managed to "virtually" absorb light using a material that has no light-absorbing capacity ...

A surprising trick that allows a beam of light to be completely absorbed even in the thinnest of layers: Using mirrors and lenses, a 'light trap' can be constructed, in which the light beam is steered ...

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Recently, University of British Columbia (UBC) scientists discovered a super-black material that absorbs 99% of light. The new material, which is composed of wood, could ...