Negative Refractivity for Optical Computing 125
zero_offset writes "This article in EE Times details Purdue's efforts to create a material with negative refractivity. One of the important results would be the ability to create optical computers due to the effect's tendency to amplify and focus light at wavelengths larger than the thickness of the nanowires used in the transmission system. Purdue's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering's Vladimir Shalaev says, "Using these plasmonic nanomaterials, we hope to directly manipulate light, guide it around corners with no losses and basically do all the fundamental operations we do with electronic circuits today, but with photons instead." Nanowires, surface plasmon polaritons, optical computers, nanoscale metamaterials, unnatural refractivity -- what's not to like?" We did a story on the first material known to have a negative index of refraction last year.
Learnt a new word.... (Score:3, Funny)
"They had free drinks that night. Trevor was absolutely PLASMONIC. I mean... shit, man! he almost had a negative refractive index. Lucky we got him in a taxi when we did"
Oh, goody! (Score:3, Funny)
'Surface plasmonic polaritrons...' Nah, too long. Let's condense it down to something like this...
"Give your laundry that FRESH, SPARKLING, NEGATIVE REFRACTIVE INDEX with Maytag's NEW SURFACE PLASMONITRON!! Yes, you too can have your clothes looking like they got lost in a physics lab for a month, AND REVERSE THEIR POLARITY, all in three easy cycles!!!"
(Read all warning labels before use. Not recommended for cashmere, poodle fur, or llama wool. Batteries most definitely NOT included, minor assembly and Ph.d required. This product is not available in Pakistan).
Ok... who else wants to contribute?