Supercontinuum Generation: The many uses of colour

Presented by Dane Austin (CUDOS)

When laser light is concentrated in space and time, enormous intensities are achieved which can violently shake the electrons in glass that would otherwise be transparent.
The glass responds by re-emitting light in a range of colours from the ultra-violet to the infrared. The resulting intense beams, known as supercontinuum, have many applications, including super-accurate measurement of time! Einstein showed that the gravitational field of heavy objects (e.g. subterranean oil) affects the passage of time, but the effect is minute and requires superb accuracy to measure. Supercontinuum has other applications and is a fascinating effect…as the 2005 Physics Nobel Prize testifies!

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