This could be a major breakthrough for quantum physics with major real world applications.

It turns out that when light hits your eyeballs, spinning photons twist it in an extremely small way. In physics, the force of that spin is known as angular momentum. In quantum physics, the force of the angular momentum is a direct multiple of Planck’s constant.

Researchers from the Trinity College of Dublin have discovered a form of light whose angular momentum is exactly half of that of Planck’s constant. This is a huge deal because this discovery could have a very “real impact on the study of light waves in areas such as secure optical communications,” says Professor John Donegan.

So as to test their theory the researchers devised an experiment which essentially reduces the number of dimensions the light operates in.

At first they passed the light through a crystal which turned its beam into a hollow cylindrical “screw-like structure.” They then built a device that measures the angular momentum of light when it passes through the crystal and when it doesn’t. As per their initial apprehensions, when the light wasn’t filtered through a crystal, its angular momentum was exactly half of Planck’s constant. However, when it passed through the crystal, the angular momentum shifted by one-half.

“What I think is so exciting about this result is that even this fundamental property of light, that physicists have always thought was fixed, can be changed,” said Prof. Donegan.

This however, isn’t totally unexpected. Scientists have since long theorized on the possibility of fractional angular momentum in photons in certain exceptional instances. This is the first time experiment however that goes to prove the occurrence. This experiment is yet another example of scientists proving concepts which only had a theoretical background until they were proven, like the existence of gravitational waves.

The application of this discovery could bring about faster and more secure forms of data transmissions. If the discovery stands peer review, it could represent a significant breakthrough in quantum physics.

“What I think is so exciting about this result is that even this fundamental property of light, that physicists have always thought was fixed, can be changed,” said lead researcher Paul Eastham.