A team of scientists has uncovered a crystal that can be reshaped and programmed using ordinary light, opening a new path for building optical technology.

Researchers at the XPANCEO Emerging Technologies Research Center, working alongside Nobel Laureate Prof. Konstantin Novoselov (University of Manchester and the National University of Singapore), have identified unusual optical behavior in arsenic trisulfide (As₂S₃), a crystalline van der Waals semiconductor. Their work shows that this material can be permanently altered by light and even shaped at the nanoscale using simple continuous-wave (CW) light. This approach eliminates the need for expensive cleanroom lithography or advanced femtosecond laser systems.

Understanding Refractive Index and Photorefractivity.