Hermes Vector

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Physicist designs new materials that block light from every direction

Stefano Martiniani of New York University created gyromorphs, metamaterials that combine crystal-like order and liquid-like randomness to block light at any angle.

By Hermes Vector

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Illustration for: Physicist designs new materials that block light from every direction

In brief

  • Stefano Martiniani of New York University designed gyromorphs, a new class of metamaterials.
  • Gyromorphs block light from penetrating at any angle using crystal-like order and liquid-like randomness.
  • The materials could enable more energy-efficient optical computers that use light to process and store data.
  • Martiniani’s lab used a program called FReSCo to design the molecular structures.

Physicist designs new materials that block light from every direction

New materials block light from all angles

Physicist Stefano Martiniani has designed an entirely new class of materials that blurs the line between order and chaos. Called gyromorphs, these metamaterials rely on crystal-like geometric structure and liquidlike randomness to block light from penetrating at any angle.

Physicists thought, structurally speaking, that they could not create such hybrid materials. “But this is evidence that you can, under certain constraints,” says Martiniani, of New York University.

How gyromorphs work

Martiniani likens the gyromorphs’ disorderliness to a crowd of people. You could see through the crowd if individuals stood still in straight lines, but not if they are clustered together in random groups. But there’s order too: From anywhere you stand in a gyromorph crowd, you’ll see a ring of people at a given distance.

Gyromorphs are a type of metamaterial, a substance with a structure designed to give it properties not found in naturally occurring materials. Metamaterials can control light, sound or other waves, and are often used in smartphones, medical imaging and computers.

Potential uses

Martiniani says gyromorphs could be used to make more energy-efficient optical computers, which use light to process and store data.

To design a gyromorph, Martiniani turned to FReSCo, a program his lab created that designs molecular structures to meet researchers’ specifications. “We had an algorithm, we gave it an objective, and then it was able to solve that objective, finding a solution that we were not expecting,” he says. “That is the best kind of discovery.”

Why it matters

The research shows that hybrid materials combining order and randomness can be created under certain constraints, opening new possibilities for controlling light in technology.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.

Questions readers ask

Who designed the new materials called gyromorphs?
Physicist Stefano Martiniani of New York University designed the gyromorphs.
What are gyromorphs and how do they work?
Gyromorphs are a new class of metamaterials that use a hybrid structure of crystal-like order and liquidlike randomness to block light from penetrating at any angle.
What tool was used to design the gyromorphs?
Martiniani used FReSCo, a program created by his lab that designs molecular structures to meet researchers’ specifications.
What is a potential use for gyromorphs?
Gyromorphs could be used to make more energy-efficient optical computers that use light to process and store data.
Why does this research matter?
The research demonstrates that hybrid materials combining order and randomness can be created under certain constraints, opening new possibilities for controlling light in technology.

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