On November 9, 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall reverberated around the world. Two decades later, the Falling Walls Foundation was set up to break down barriers by asking the question, “Which walls will fall next?” That is to say, how can leaders in science, business, politics, the arts, and society change the world? This year a Maltese scientist, André Xuereb, aged just 28, was invited to talk about his bright idea.
Dr Xuereb is part of a team based at the University of Malta and Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, focusing on how to transfer information from one light beam to another.
“By using a vibrating mirror you can use the light to talk to the vibrations of the mirror,” explains Dr Xuereb.
Light shining on a mirror, much like wind blowing in a sail, makes the mirror move. This transfers information to the mirror.
“Then I can shoot another beam of light at the mirror and extract this information from it.”
The set-up works like an electronic circuit transferring information from one point to another. The vibrating mirror set-up allows scientists to take advantage of the incredible world of quantum mechanics. Since the mirror is vibrating, its quantum properties – like being in two places at the same time – are easier to expose.
“Whenever the mirror is pinned to one place, quantum mechanics kicks in. You cannot have a mirror exactly in one place so there is always uncertainty,” explains Dr Xuereb. This property allows you to temporarily transfer information from the light beam to the mirror and back to another light beam. This light beam can then continue on its merry way.
It would revolutionise how data is transferred from one continent to another and change the backbone of the internet
Vibrating mirrors have already been used as described, but the team Dr Xuereb is part of has figured out a way to use more mirrors to achieve a much more powerful effect.
“We can put, say, 10 mirrors together, but the effect you get is much more than 10 times as strong.”
These thoroughbred optics can do amazing things and remove the need for electronic circuits used to connect optical fibres. This would reduce costs and save energy – the energy needs of this technology are smaller than we can imagine. It would revolutionise how data is transferred from one continent to another and change the backbone of the internet.
This technology can be used in a whole variety of systems. It could even improve devices we use every day.
“The technology is a close cousin of micro-electro-mechanical systems, used for sensors in phones and tablets,” says Dr Xuereb.
If these electronic sensors were replaced with these optical ones, you could have one sensor doing tens of different functions. How app developers would use that is anyone’s guess.
Dr Xuereb’s experience at Falling Walls 2013 was very positive. During the event, which runs over two days, 100 invited speakers presented their ideas in just three minutes and were then judged by a jury of engineers and scientists. From these speakers, three people were selected to speak on the second day.
“They give a talk in front of media and a select audience. The idea is to bring together people who have great ideas with entrepreneurs, media, venture capitalists, everything to try and get good ideas off the ground and truly change the world.”
The winner of this year’s event was Klemens Wassermann from the Austria Institute of Technology, who discussed his work in the field of infection diagnostics.
For his PhD work, Wasserman, together with a team of people, helped develop a device that can diagnose bacterial infection in blood samples in minutes. Currently, this procedure takes days. The device works by zapping blood samples, bursting red blood cells but not bacteria. This makes the sample easier and cheaper to analyse.
In Berlin, Wassermann presented a prototype of a device that will cost less than €2, runs on a 9V battery, and which could bring great relief to poorer countries around the world. The group have filed patents and talked to industry – pretty much the whole package.
On the second day, high-profile speakers from around the world gave talks about their work.
This year, Sophia Vinogradov from the University of California talked about using games to treat mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, whereas Dan Shechtman, Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, discussed the importance of encouraging an entrepreneurial attitude in universities, and its dire need in economies with limited access to natural resources such as Israel and Malta.
Back to Dr Xuereb and his vibrating mirrors. He travelled to Berlin because he believes the idea deserves to receive industrial support.
“In 10 years’ time, if industry were to pick it up, these transistors would have a widespread use,” he says. “Although it still needs to be experimented on and proven, I’m a theoretical physicist, a Sheldon Cooper.”
Dr Edward Duca is the editor of THINK, the research magazine of the University of Malta. Issues are available at http://issuu.com/thinkuni .