Phys.org  August 25, 2022 One of the key insights of non-Hermitian photonics is that well-established concepts such as the laser can be operated in reverse to realize a coherent perfect absorber (CPA). Although conceptually appealing, such CPAs are limited so far to a single, judiciously shaped wavefront or mode. An international team of researchers (Israel, Austria) built a “light trap” around the thin layer using mirrors and lenses, in which the light beam is steered in a circle and then superimposed on itself—exactly in such a way that the beam of light blocks itself and can no longer leave the […]