New nanomaterials manipulate light using time variation

Scientists have found a new way to control light using time. They did this by creating special nanomaterials that can change their properties very quickly. The researchers developed a material called TCO that can modify its optical properties in just six femtoseconds, which is very fast. This rapid change is important because traditional materials do not change quickly enough to use this new method. In their experiment, the scientists showed they could alter the TCO’s properties while a light pulse is moving through it. As the light travels, different parts of the pulse experience different material properties at different times. This technique is called time refraction. It allows the light’s speed and frequency to change continuously as it moves, unlike regular refraction, where light changes only at the boundaries between two materials.