tech
April 6, 2026
Physicists discover unusual phenomenon in light: "Dark spots" that move faster than it
Optical vortices – a kind of "hole" in light – can move faster than light itself, and scientists have now managed to observe them directly for the first time.
TL;DR
- Optical vortices, or phase singularities, have been directly observed for the first time.
- These "holes" in light can appear to move faster than the speed of light.
- This phenomenon does not violate Einstein's theory of relativity as vortices don't carry mass, energy, or information.
- Scientists observed these vortices in phonon polaritons within hexagonal boron nitride, which move slower than light.
- Advanced ultrfast electron microscopy was used to capture these nanoscale processes.
- The discovery has implications for understanding universal wave laws and developing new technologies.