University of Michigan Researchers Create Electron Lighthouse Using Laser Light

Scientists at the University of Michigan have built a semiconductor device that steers a narrow stream of electrons with laser pulses, eliminating the need for an external electric field. By illuminating the material with two colors of light and rotating their polarization, the team can direct the electron flow in different directions, a phenomenon they liken to a lighthouse beam.

The experiment, carried out at the Lurie Nanofabrication Facility and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, was reported in Physical Review Letters. While the device was designed to explore fundamental quantum‑interference effects, the researchers suggest it could eventually enable faster, more precise optical‑electronic sensors, advanced imaging systems and new telecommunications technologies.