Scientists Uncover How Microwaves Interact with Imaginary Time

Quick Summary

• Researchers at the University of Maryland have demonstrated that microwaves can experience “imaginary time” – a concept previously thought to be non-physical and unmeasurable.
• Imaginary time arises when radiation traveling through materials interacts with atoms, causing a complex delay involving imaginary numbers (square root of -1).
• An experiment using coaxial cables formed into a ring and advanced oscilloscopes revealed tiny frequency shifts in microwaves as evidence of imaginary time.
• The research completes earlier theoretical work from 2016 and confirms how materials sculpt pulses of radiation. Insights from this study could influence nanoscience and improve sensing devices or light-based storage systems in computer memories.
• The team plans further investigations into how these shifts impact communication-related information transmission.

Image Caption: An oscilloscope in an electronic testing lab | Credit: Uwe Moser/Alamy