At Oxford University, meanwhile, Andrew Turberfield and Bob Denning are using crossed laser beams to create so-called photonic crystals.

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Like all other crystals, photonic crystals are built up from regular, repeating elements.

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The elements in photonic crystals are significantly bigger than that they are clearly visible under a microscope but their arrangement can still, for many purposes, be considered crystalline.

ECONOMIST: New-age crystals

Lin, an expert in nanostructure photonics and a pioneer in the field of photonic crystals, says that the new coating could be applied to just about any photovoltaic material.

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Last month, in conjunction with Shawn-Yu Lin of the Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, the group showed that photonic crystals can guide light on a far smaller scale than was previously possible.

ECONOMIST: New-age crystals

Dr Yablonovitch's photonic crystals are multi-talented.

ECONOMIST: New-age crystals