Scientists Say They Have Created the First Electromagnetic Vortex Cannon
For thirty years, scientists have theorized that it should be possible to create electromagnetic “focused doughnuts” not topologically dissimilar from the vortex rings that form naturally in air and water.
Now, a new study has designed a machine to do just that, by generating an instantaneous pressure difference that forms a vortex over long distances.
Although an electromagnetic cannon is a wonder of its own, this breakthrough could have implications for wireless communication, as well as improved sensing and detection technologies.
Vortices are a fairly common phenomenon of nature. They happen when a jet of something creates frictional forces that cause the sides of the surrounding material—whether a gas or liquid—to slow down and curl inward, forming a ring. The propulsive action of jellyfish and squid, for example, can create these types of vortices (and the popular children’s toy known as the “Airzooka” achieves a similar phenomenon).
For nearly 30 years, scientists have theorized that such a vortex should be possible within the realm of electromagnetism. In 1996, R.W. Hellwarth and P. Nouchi theorized that “focused doughnuts” of electromagnetic radiation could be propagated through free space, but had no idea how to trigger such a phenomenon.
Now, scientists from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and the University of Southampton in the U.K. think they’ve solved the riddle. According to a study published last month in the journal Applied Physics Reviews, the team has designed a radially polarized conical horn antenna, otherwise known as an “electromagnetic cannon.”
The idea is a complicated one, but the researchers claim that their cannon is capable of reliably producing vortices with skyrmion topological structures—sometimes referred to as “subatomic hurricanes.”
“The principle involves utilizing ultra-wideband, radially polarized, conical coaxial horn antennas to create a rotating electromagnetic wave structure,” the scientists said in a press statement. “When the antenna emits, it generates an instantaneous pressure difference that forms these vortex rings, which maintain their shape and energy over long distances. The uniqueness of this method lies in its ability to produce electromagnetic pulses with complex topological features, such as skyrmions, that showcase remarkable resilience and self-healing properties during propagation.”
So, why make an electromagnetic vortex cannon? While the very name of the device seemingly answers that question, the device also comes with some more practical benefits than just blasting some sick electromagnetic vortex rings. For one, they offer a novel way to encode and transmit data, because the spectra and polarization characteristics of the ring can carry more information than your average wave. However, their greatest application could lie in the field of metrology—the science and measurements, sensing, and detection.
“[The Vortex’s] ability to maintain structural integrity even in the presence of environmental disturbances positions them as valuable tools in remote sensing and target detection,” the scientists said in a press statement. “By analyzing the unique patterns of these vortex pulses, we can develop more precise and reliable methods for detecting and locating objects, whether in defense systems or space exploration.”
For thirty years, scientists have pondered whether such electromagnetic vortices were possible. Now that we have them, the next step is figuring what to do with them. And for now, the possibilities are only growing.
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