Jacob Khurgin, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was quoted in a Science News article focused on how lasers can transmit sounds that human ears can hear. To create these sounds, scientists based out of the MIT Lincoln Laboratory have tuned lasers to interact with water vapor in the air. It is the first time this technique has been used without harming humans.
At this stage, the lasers are only able to create buzzing noises. They are not able to send complex messages, though ultimately this technique could be used by humans to communicate in crowded areas. As Khurgin put it, “It’s not as much a practical means of communication, but a very neat demonstration proving the power of photoacoustics.”
The article appears in Science News as “Lasers Could Send Messages Right to a Listener’s Ear.”