Scientists create tornado of light that could power next-gen lasers and quantum devices

Scientists created optical vortices (optical tornadoes) — tiny swirling light structures — inside a microscopic liquid-crystal system.

The work uses torons, tightly twisted spirals that close into rings and act as microscopic traps for light.

Researchers engineered a synthetic magnetic field inside the liquid crystal to bend light.

That synthetic field is produced by birefringence and spatial variation; its mathematical description resembles a magnetic field even though it is not one physically.

The approach, reported by a team including physicist Jacek Szczytko (University of Warsaw), could reshape lasers, communication devices, and future quantum technologies.