In a new quantum simulator, light behaves like a magnet
(PHYSorg.com Physics)

Physicists at EPFL propose a new `quantum simulator`: a laser-based device that can be used to study a wide range of quantum systems. Studying it, the researchers have found that photons can behave like magnetic dipoles at temperatures close to absolute zero, following the laws of quantum mechanics. The simple simulator can be used to better understand the properties of complex materials under such extreme conditions.