EPFL Finds Way to Capture Every Twist of Polarised Light

According to researchers at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, polarisation is key for future technologies, ranging from quantum computers to secure communication and holographic displays.

Many materials emit light in ways that encode information in their polarisation, as if we were using the direction of light waves to send a message. Among such phenomena is a form known as circularly polarised luminescence (CPL), a special type of light emission produced by chiral materials (where light waves spiral either left or right as they travel).

Overcoming the limitations of traditional techniques

To unlock new applications, researchers need to observe precisely how this polarisation evolves. But so far, scientists have had to compromise because existing methods force a trade-off between speed, sensitivity, or a broad range of colours.