Light can form chiral spin patterns in empty space, study finds
An international team led by University of East Anglia researchers found that light can generate spinning and twisting patterns while traveling through empty space without lenses, mirrors, or other materials. The effect arises from light's internal geometry and allows control over left- and right-handed patterns, with possible uses in communications, medical testing, and quantum technologies.
Researchers at the University of East Anglia, collaborating with scientists in South Africa, studied structured light whose brightness, shape, and direction are deliberately arranged. They found that such beams can acquire left- or right-handed spinning behavior during travel through empty space, without lenses, mirrors, or special materials.
This handedness, called chirality, also appears in molecules, including some medicines, where mirror-image forms can act differently in the body. The work suggests light’s internal geometry may let scientists control where and how these twisting patterns appear, potentially aiding communications, medical testing, and quantum information.
If the effect proves practical, it could influence fields that rely on precise light control. Communications engineers may gain another way to encode or secure data, while medical researchers could use chiral light to distinguish mirror-image molecules relevant to drug testing. Quantum technology developers might also benefit from new methods to manipulate optical information. Patients, internet users, and scientists could feel these changes indirectly through faster, safer, or more sensitive tools, though real-world applications may take years to emerge.