Scientists slow down the speed of light travelling in free space | ScienceDaily Scientists have long

Scientists slow down the speed of light travelling in free space|ScienceDaily

Scientists have long known that the speed of light can be slowed slightly as it travels through materials such as water or glass.

However, it has generally been thought impossible for particles of light, known as photons, to be slowed as they travel through free space, unimpeded by interactions with any materials.

In a new paper published in Science Express today (Friday 23 January), researchers from the University of Glasgow and Heriot-Watt University describe how they have managed to slow photons in free space for the first time. They have demonstrated that applying a mask to an optical beam to give photons a spatial structure can reduce their speed.

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