Skip to Content
Computing

These 3-D laser images float effortlessly in the air

January 25, 2018

Physicists have used lasers and trapped particles to create impressive moving 3-D images.

How it works: Laser beams are used to create forces that move a particle of cellulose through the air, while another set of lasers is used to illuminate it. By moving the particle very fast, it’s possible to make what appears to the human eye as a moving image.

Better than holograms? The images can be viewed from any angle. That’s not true of holograms, notes a Nature news article: they have a narrow viewing angle, owing to their projection from a 2-D surface.

But: The technique, described in a paper in Nature, creates tiny images—just millimeters across. And it’s only able to make line drawings, because the speed at which the particle can be moved is limited. It could also be disrupted by a stiff breeze.

Why it matters: If those caveats can be overcome, the technology could eventually be used to create truly mind-blowing new kinds of 3-D displays.

Deep Dive

Computing

What’s next for the world’s fastest supercomputers

Scientists have begun running experiments on Frontier, the world’s first official exascale machine, while facilities worldwide build other machines to join the ranks.

The future of open source is still very much in flux

Free and open software have transformed the tech industry. But we still have a lot to work out to make them healthy, equitable enterprises.

The beautiful complexity of the US radio spectrum

The United States Frequency Allocation Chart shows how the nation’s precious radio frequencies are carefully shared.

How ubiquitous keyboard software puts hundreds of millions of Chinese users at risk

Third-party keyboard apps make typing in Chinese more efficient, but they can also be a privacy nightmare.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.