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Cookies on the New Scientist website Our website uses cookies, which are small text files that are widely used in order to make websites work more effectively. To continue using our website and consent to the use of cookies, click away from this box or click 'Close' close Find out about our cookies and how to change them Physics & Math Home News SPACE In-Depth Articles TECH Opinion ENVIRONMENT CultureLab HEALTH Galleries LIFE Log in Topic Guides PHYSICS&MATH Last Word Subscribe Dating My New Scientist Look for Science Jobs SCIENCE IN SOCIETY Cookies & Privacy Light hits near infinite speed in silver-coated glass 17:33 07 January 2013 by Jeff Hecht A nano-sized bar of glass encased in silver allows visible light to pass through at near infinite speed. The technique may spur advances in optical computing. Metamaterials are synthetic materials with properties not found in nature. Metal and glass have been combined in previous metamaterials to bend light backwards or to make invisibility cloaks. These materials achieve their bizarre effects by manipulating the refractive index, a measure of how much a substance alters light's course and speed. Blink and you'll miss it, a million times over (Image: John Renstenzefa/Superstock) In a vacuum the refractive index is 1, and the speed of light cannot break Einstein's universal limit of 300,000 kilometres per second. Normal materials have positive indexes, and they transmit at the speed of light in a vacuum divided by their refractive index. Ordinary glass, for instance, has an index of about 1.5, so light moves through it at about 200,000 kilometres per second. No threat to Einstein The new material contains a nano-scale structure that guides light waves through the metal-coated glass. It is the first with a refractive index below 0.1, which means that light passes through it at almost infinite speed, says Albert Polman at the FOM Institute AMOLF in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. But the speed of light has not, technically, been broken. The wave is moving quickly, but its "group velocity" – the speed at which information is travelling – is near zero. As a feat of pure research, Polman's group did a great job in demonstrating the exotic features of low-index materials, says Wenshan Cai of the Georgia Institute of Technology, who was not involved in the work. Practical applications might also be in the offing. The metal component that reduces the refractive index also increases absorption, so the light can't travel far, says Polman. Still, the material could be used to transmit light rapidly over the very short distances in optical integrated circuits, he says. Journal reference: Physical Review Letters, doi.org/j5x If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to. About us User Help Subscriptions Links Science Jobs New Scientist Syndication Recruitment Advertising Staff at New Scientist Advertise RBI Jobs Contact Us FAQ / Help Disclaimer Ts & Cs Cookies Privacy Policy Subscribe Renew Gift subscription Student Subscription Back issues The Collection The Anti-Zoo Site Map Browse all articles Magazine archive NewScientistJobs The Last Word RSS Feeds Online Store iOS & Android apps Low-bandwidth site Search all Jobs Biology Jobs Chemistry Jobs Clinical Jobs Earth & Environment Jobs Engineering Jobs Maths & IT Jobs Careers Advice