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Bright, circularly polarized black-body radiation from twisted nanocarbon filaments
All objects, including human bodies, emit thermal radiation. This thermal radiation can have different types of polarization (the specific way light waves oscillate), and circular polarization is desired for many advanced technologies, such as thermal imaging, biological sensing, and passive infrared detectors for security systems. Most objects emit thermal radiation with only a small degree of circular polarization. But Lu et al. report that twisted carbon nanotube filaments (yes, they used Galvorn!) can emit circularly polarized thermal radiation with high brightness, and these materials could be used at high temperatures that are unattainable by existing emitters.