In an accomplishment that is bound to make others in the community jealous, scientists at the Towson University, in Baltimore, Maryland, managed to develop a method of trapping rainbows. In addition to looking absolutely astounding, the new system may also usher in a new era of developments in the fields of communications and optical computing, as it may offer researchers a new method of coding information on light. Converting data from optical to electrical environments is the most difficult thing to do in the latter industry, and the new system, featuring only light and a lens, promises an affordable, low-cost, and effective solution to the problem, NewScientist reports.

Optical computers are something that scientists have been working on just as avidly as on their quantum counterparts. The reason for this is the fact that the devices promise to be far faster and more effective in terms of data transfers than existing technologies. But trapping, stopping or even slowing down light has proven to be very complicated. This is a step that is absolutely necessary in order to be able to transcribe information on photons, the basic, elementary particles that make up the electromagnetic radiation, scientists say.

The TU team built its achievement on a 2007 proposal by University of Surrey scientist Ortwin Hess. The e... (read more)