News Physics

Scientists see the one-way light

Nonlinear materials allow directional discrimination of waves

By Devin Powell

- More than 2 years ago

Normally, a glass window doesn’t care where a ray of light came from. But special kinds of glass or plastic could be a bit pickier.

STOP AND GO A proposed wave diode would allow light coming from the left to pass through (image on left) but reflect light coming from the other direction (right).