A team of scientists at Oxford University has reimagined the vacuum, digitally simulating the possibility of generating light from nothing, based on one of the strangest predictions of quantum physics: that a vacuum is not completely empty.
In a new study, scientists conducted advanced computer simulations that demonstrated how ultra-powerful lasers could "disturb" the quantum vacuum, inducing real-world phenomena such as light production, without the need for atoms or physical matter.
Contrary to what classical physics assumes, which considers the vacuum to be completely empty space, quantum physics reveals that the vacuum is filled with fleeting virtual particles—particularly pairs of electrons and positrons that appear and disappear at extremely high speeds.
When these particles interact with sufficient energy, they can produce tangible effects. This is what the Oxford University team attempted to accurately simulate using advanced software called OSIRIS.
The team focused on a theoretical phenomenon known as "quadruple-wave mixing in a vacuum," in which intersecting laser light beams can excite virtual particles in a vacuum, causing them to generate new light (without passing through any matter).
The simulation involved the use of petawatt (one million billion watts) lasers, one of the most powerful light beams imaginable, equivalent to the power of 10 trillion light bulbs.
The results showed that, across the quantum vacuum, laser beams can change direction, mix, and even produce entirely new light.
One of the most striking results was double refraction in a vacuum, a phenomenon similar to what occurs when light passes through certain crystals and splits into two paths. In this case, the laser's effect on the virtual particles distorted the "fabric" of vacuum itself, changing the polarization of the light as if it were passing through an invisible crystal.
If these results can later be replicated in real experiments, they could pave the way for a deeper understanding of the nature of vacuum, dark energy, and the structure of spacetime, and perhaps even new techniques for controlling light.
However, these quantum effects are extremely delicate and require extremely powerful lasers that would vaporize most materials. Therefore, simulation remains an essential tool for determining optimal conditions before embarking on costly and risky real-world experiments.
The research team hopes to continue developing their models to test new forms of laser pulses and discover other ways to "create something from nothing." This simulation is not just a theoretical test, but a roadmap toward experiments that could change our understanding of space, light, and even the nature of reality.
The study was published in the journal Communications Physics.
