Is it possible to Store active Photons?

[elizsia]

Ive been using a material called Graphene to try and create a device that can Store and Increase Photons. So far Ive been unable to do this.

 

1. You need to create a very small pea sized ( doesnt have to be pea sized ) sphere made of epoxy and graphene.

2. You need a new type of material or fluid that is packed with electrons to mix with the epoxy and graphene. " I dont have this "

 

My Theory..

 

When Photons or preferably daylight enters the sphere, it creates a reaction between the graphene and the electrons which then magnifies and increases the Photons... At the same time the Graphene prevents the Photons from escaping the sphere. At that point when you remove the external light source completely, the Photons remain within the device creating a permanent light source. You have stored light for the first time.

 

I dont have the tools necessary to create this device.. But its a nice idea..

Edited January 5, 2016 by elizsia

[pavelcherepan]

1. If it works as a light source then photons do escape from the device so you can't store them.

2. "Magnifies and increases photons" - care to explain how this is meant to work?

3. Why graphene? What's so special about graphene for the purpose you're planning to use it for?

[Klaynos]

Graphene's absorption is 2.7% iirc. How does that "stop the photons escaping"?

 

I just don't see how this can be physically possible. Can you show your maths?

[swansont]

You need a means of amplification to "increase the photons" (assuming they are the same wavelength), which requires an energy input. A common means of storing and amplifying light is called a laser, though some of the light finds its way out of the device.

[Fred Champion]

What makes a photon "active"? Is there any such thing as an inactive photon?

[swansont]

What makes a photon "active"? Is there any such thing as an inactive photon?

 

No. Photons move at c. They have to, as they are massless. The phrasing in the OP is ... awkward.

[Sensei]

2. "Magnifies and increases photons" - care to explain how this is meant to work?

Second-harmonic_generation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second-harmonic_generation

"Second harmonic generation (also called frequency doubling or abbreviated SHG) is a nonlinear optical process, in which photons with the same frequency interacting with a nonlinear material are effectively "combined" to generate new photons with twice the energy, and therefore twice the frequency and half the wavelength of the initial photons. Second harmonic generation, as an even-order nonlinear optical effect, is only allowed in mediums without inversion symmetry. It is a special case of sum frequency generation."

 

Sum-frequency generation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sum-frequency_generation

 

It can be visualized by short sentence:

two photons with smaller energies are absorbed, one photon with higher energy is emitted.

 

I dont have the tools necessary to create this device.. But its a nice idea..

You miss entire knowledge behind it..

So I would suggest to start from reading above links.

 

At the same time the Graphene prevents the Photons from escaping the sphere.

Where did you get idea that Graphene has such properties.. ?

 

"Storing photons" also might mean simply heating material.

Material is then emitting black body spectrum, depending on temperature of object.

It's typically lower than visible range of spectrum, f.e. infra red. Thus we don't see something is hot. Unless it's extremely hot.

f.e. melted metal is starting emitting red photons (then yellow, then white), when its black body spectrum is shifted to visible range and temperature is very high.

 

Black body radiation article for you to read:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-body_radiation

 

At that point when you remove the external light source completely, the Photons remain within the device creating a permanent light source.

Sounds kinda like fluorescence, luminescence.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescence

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminescence

 

Permanent? No. It works until all stored energy is released and emitted.

 

You have stored light for the first time.

Photons are absorbed all the time by our devices.

And emitted later, on demand.

f.e. solar panel with accumulator, charged in day, discharged at night, by light bulb.

 

Vegetables are converting photons, Carbon Dioxide and water into sugars. It's their way to store energy for later use.

Edited January 6, 2016 by Sensei

[swansont]

Second-harmonic_generation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second-harmonic_generation

"Second harmonic generation (also called frequency doubling or abbreviated SHG) is a nonlinear optical process, in which photons with the same frequency interacting with a nonlinear material are effectively "combined" to generate new photons with twice the energy, and therefore twice the frequency and half the wavelength of the initial photons. Second harmonic generation, as an even-order nonlinear optical effect, is only allowed in mediums without inversion symmetry. It is a special case of sum frequency generation."

 

Sum-frequency generation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sum-frequency_generation

 

It can be visualized by short sentence:

two photons with smaller energies are absorbed, one photon with higher energy is emitted.

 

 

 

But that's the opposite of "Magnifies and increases photons" since you now have half the number of photons. If what you want is more photons, you need downconversion.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_parametric_down-conversion

 

And, of course, you haven't increased the energy of the system, because energy is conserved. As I said before, you need amplification, which needs an energy input.

 

"Storing photons" also might mean simply heating material.

Material is then emitting black body spectrum, depending on temperature of object.

It's typically lower than visible range of spectrum, f.e. infra red. Thus we don't see something is hot. Unless it's extremely hot.

f.e. melted metal is starting emitting red photons (then yellow, then white), when its black body spectrum is shifted to visible range and temperature is very high.

 

 

But that's not storing photons. The photons don't stay in the material and were never in it in the first place.

[Sensei]

But that's the opposite of "Magnifies and increases photons" since you now have half the number of photons. If what you want is more photons, you need downconversion.

 

That depends on how we interpret OP words.

I must say, I interpreted it as increase of energy per photon and decrease quantity ("magnify photon" in presupposition energy),

but indeed it could be interpreted the other way around,

as decrease energy per photon, and increase their quantity.

But it would make less sense, in this context.

If we down convert red or green photon, newly produced photons will be no longer in visible spectrum.. rendering it no longer "light source"..

And OP wanted to have photons in visible spectrum ("light source").

 

[swansont]

 

That depends on how we interpret OP words.

I must say, I interpreted it as increase of energy per photon and decrease quantity ("magnify photon" in presupposition energy),

but indeed it could be interpreted the other way around,

as decrease energy per photon, and increase their quantity.

But it would make less sense, in this context.

If we down convert red or green photon, newly produced photons will be no longer in visible spectrum.. rendering it no longer "light source"..

And OP wanted to have photons in visible spectrum ("light source").

 

 

"Light source" in a physics context is not restricted to visible light; it just means electromagnetic radiation. Even outside of that, UV and IR are often considered light.