Thermal emission control: A thermal metasurface is made of a single layer of nanostructured silicon (gray) on top of glass (blue) and a metal mirror. The nanostructured surface is tailored so that it thermally emits circularly polarized light in the desired direction. (Courtesy: Adam Overvig)
Incandescent light bulbs and other thermal radiation sources can produce coherent, polarized and dir
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Anna Demming
is a science journalist based in Bristol, UK