TRACTOR BEAM BREAKS DISTANCE RECORD (STA BREAKING NEWS and ARCHIVES)

by STANews , Tuesday, October 21, 2014, 10:10

Drs Shvedov (L) and Hnatovsky used a doughnut-shaped laser beam to push and pull small glass spheres

Scientists have created a tractor beam that can drag objects for distances of up to 20cm - around 100 times further than in previous experiments.

The doughnut-shaped laser is also reversible - so it can either repel or attract objects.

In future, these beams could be used to study atmospheric pollutants, or to retrieve delicate particles of material for examination.

The research is published in the journal Nature Photonics.

Previous tractor beam experiments used the momentum of light particles (or photons) to impart motion. But this latest device relies on the energy of the laser heating up the particles and the air around them.

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http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29708358