Release Date: September 11, 2012 BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Will humans
ever control lightning? Could we make the invisible visible, and
vice versa? It's those questions and more that researchers such
as Natalia Litchinitser, an associate professor of electrical
engineering at the University at Buffalo, are exploring in the
evolving field of modern optics. Optics, or the science of
light, is a centuries-old branch of physics that examines the
properties and behavior of light, including its interaction with
matter, and the instruments that use and detect it. Modern
optics refers to advancements starting in the 2oth century to
present. Examples include high-powered lasers, light-emitting
diodes (LEDs) and solar panels. The synergy of two branches of
modern optics -- metamaterials and singular optics -- is fueling
even more innovative research, Litchinitser wrote in an essay
published Aug. 31 in the journal Science. The essay can be found
at http://www.sciencemag.org. "Metamaterials and singular optics
are two fascinating