Metapoverhnost analog math Bashny.Net

Scientists were able to produce 2D-material (metapoverhnost) capable of performing mathematical operations of differentiation and integration. That is, the material finds derivatives and integrals of functions. A kind of "analog computer" changes the characteristics (amplitude and phase) of the laser beam that is directed at metapoverhnost.





Work from the University of Southern Denmark published in the journal Nano Letters.



Metapoverhnost consists of an array of tiny metallic scatterers, each of which is smaller than the wavelength of light that passes through them. The photo above was taken with a scanning tunneling microscope. Differetsiator left shows the size of 50 x 50 nm, and the right - an integrator of the same size. First metapoverhnost calculates derivatives, and the second - integrals.

Danish scientists have made material from gold nanoparticles as scatterers. They are fixed on the lining of silica and gold film. When illuminated by a laser beam of a metamaterial with a wavelength of 800 nm light excites surface plasmons, they go into the intermediate layer of silicon dioxide. For the first time scientists were able to simultaneously monitor and amplitude, and phase of light waves reflected light.

Metamaterials advantage is that they are several orders of magnitude thinner than conventional optical elements such as lenses or wave plates. Such a small thickness potentially enables the development of miniature, compact optical circuits in which analog math become one of the applications.

Source: geektimes.ru/post/244430/