Cherenkov radiation phenomenon was discovered in 1934, in the anti-proton, neutrino oscillation and other basic particles in the discovery process played a key role, but also to achieve free electron laser light source one of the effective ways. The free electron lasers are expected to be used for the study of condensed matter physics, material characteristics, anti-missile laser weapons, radar, plasma diagnostics, etc., in the basic physics, defense, etc., due to their short wavelength, high power, high efficiency and adjustable wavelength. Military, biomedical, information science and other fields have important application value.
Huang Yidong in the Science and Technology Daily reporter interviewed, for example, said: "If the material spread in the photon compared to a uniform high-speed train, high-energy charged particles only to catch up with the train tail, that is, to reach the material in the light speed Speed) to produce the Cherenkov radiation. "At present, the minimum electron energy produced by the light band of Cherenkov is at least 20,000 electron volts, and only large electron accelerators can do it.
This time, Liu imitation Dr. Xiao Long and others found that in the artificial hyperbolic metamaterials, no matter how slow the electron speed of the uniform motion can produce radiation, that can achieve the threshold of the Cherenkov radiation. Huang Yi Dong explained: "Metamaterials will produce radiation of electronic energy conditions completely reversed. Accelerated electrons required to reduce the energy of several orders of magnitude, can not be separated from the large hardening device hard constraints are also lifted.