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A million times better
Nonlinear optical materials are widely used in laser
systems. However, high light intensity and long propagation are required to
produce strong nonlinear optical effects. Researchers at The University of
Texas at Austin and the Technische Universitaet Muenchen created metamaterials
with a million times stronger nonlinear optical response, compared to the
traditional nonlinear materials, and demonstrated frequency conversion in films
100 times thinner than human hair using light intensity comparable to that of a
laser pointer.