Sources:PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 103(19):194801-,2009
Authors:Xi S ; Chen HS; Jiang,T; Ran LX; Huangfu,JT; Wu BI; Kong JA ; Chen M
Abstract
When a charged particle, such as an electron, travels through a medium at a speed greater than the speed of the light in the medium, it produces a cone of electromagnetic radiation. This radiation, known as Cherenkov radiation, has been widely used in the particle detection. Hongsheng Chen and his group members at Zhejiang University have flipped the direction of the Cherenkov radiation backwards by emulating the fast charged particle passing through a novel left-handed metamaterial. This finding demonstrates yet an exotic optical phenomenon and may inspire the development of new technology for charged particle detection. The research is reported in Physical Review Letters and was highlighted by Nature China. Prof. Xiang Zhang, the member of US National Academy of Engineering, highlighted the main contributions of this research with a Viewpoint in Physics.
