Light Beam with a Curve

Physicists have used a laser to create the first Airy beam--a light beam that curves, as shown in this computer simulation. No light actually propagates along the curved path, however. The curve of the brightest region results from a complex interference pattern from light rays all traveling in straight lines.

Read the Focus story describing this research.

Abstract of the paper from Physical Review Letters: Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 213901 (2007)

Image credit: Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 213901 (2007)