A surprising result has been discovered: darkness can technically outshine light under specific conditions. Although Einstein’s theory states that information cannot travel faster than light, massless phenomena that contain no information, such as darkness, can technically exceed this cosmic speed limit. In this regard, scientists focused on optical phase singularities, which are also called zero points or null points.
These are small holes or voids in light waves where the amplitude of the light drops to zero, creating points of complete darkness. However, recent theory has outlined that these singularities can travel at superluminal speeds, especially during their destruction. The research team used a specialized laser and microscopy system to track these dark points. They used a material called hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) to convert light into polaritons. In this polariton state, light is slowed to about 1% of its speed in a vacuum. This reduction made it possible to observe and measure the dark point vortices that exceed the local speed of light.
In this regard, Ido Kaminer, senior author of the Technion study, said in a press statement: “Our discovery reveals universal laws of nature shared by all types of waves, from sound waves and fluid flows to complex systems such as superconductors.”
The researchers are committed to these innovative microscopy techniques that have made possible the study of hidden processes in physics, chemistry and biology. For the first time, they reveal how nature behaves in its fastest states. Furthermore, this discovery outlines physical laws that apply to all wave types, including sound and fluid flows. These techniques could ultimately help scientists uncover elusive processes across multiple scientific disciplines.
