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Quantum ‘Kiss’ Changes Color of Space

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CAMBRIDGE, England, DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIÁN, Spain, and PARIS, Nov. 8, 2012 — Just as a little boy blushes when a girl ever so slightly brushes his cheek with her lips, so, too, does the minute gap between nanosize gold spheres flush red as electrons jump from one side to the other. Using optical methods, scientists from Cambridge University, and the universities of the Basque Country and Paris have shown that spaces smaller than a nanometer between metals undergo color changes, thanks to the movement of electrons in the surrounding area — meaning that researchers can see quantum mechanics in action in air at room temperature. Because electrons in a...Read full article

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    Published: November 2012
    Glossary
    nano
    An SI prefix meaning one billionth (10-9). Nano can also be used to indicate the study of atoms, molecules and other structures and particles on the nanometer scale. Nano-optics (also referred to as nanophotonics), for example, is the study of how light and light-matter interactions behave on the nanometer scale. See nanophotonics.
    optoelectronics
    Optoelectronics is a branch of electronics that focuses on the study and application of devices and systems that use light and its interactions with different materials. The term "optoelectronics" is a combination of "optics" and "electronics," reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of this field. Optoelectronic devices convert electrical signals into optical signals or vice versa, making them crucial in various technologies. Some key components and applications of optoelectronics include: ...
    photonics
    The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
    quantum mechanics
    The science of all complex elements of atomic and molecular spectra, and the interaction of radiation and matter.
    Basic ScienceCambridge UniversityCenter for Materials PhysicsDonostia International Physics CenterelectronsEnglandEuropeFranceilluminated gapImagingJavier AizpuruaJeremy Baumbergnanonanoparticlesnanosize gold spheresOpticsoptoelectronicsoscillationphotonicsquantum electronic leapquantum limitquantum mechanicsquantum regimequantum tunnelingResearch & TechnologySpainUniversity of ParisUniversity of the Basque Country

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