TU Vienna develops light transistor

TU Vienna has managed to turn the oscillation direction of beams of light - simply by applying an electrical current to a special material. This way, a transistor can be built that functions with light instead of electrical current. Light can oscillate in different directions, as we can see in the 3D cinema: Each lens of the glasses only allows light of a particular oscillation direction to pass through. However, changing the polarization direction of light without a large part of it being lost is difficult. The TU Vienna has now managed this feat, using a type of light - terahertz radiation - that is of particular technological importance. An electrical field applied to an ultra-thin layer of material can turn the polarisation of the beam as required. This produces an efficient transistor for light that can be miniaturised and used to build optical computers.