This frozen fiber makes light and sound interact 1,000x more strongly

Freezing the liquid core of an optical fiber produced an extreme environment where light and sound interact more than 1,000 times more strongly than in ordinary fibers. Researchers used the effect to create optoacoustic memory, potentially paving the way for lower-energy photonic computers and advanced quantum technologies. A related process plays an important role in manufacturing optical fibers. Glass preforms are heated until their structure becomes loose enough to be drawn into extremely thin fibers. Light travels through the fiber core, allowing information to move... [3264 chars]