{"id":156356,"date":"2026-03-11T08:49:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T13:49:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=156356"},"modified":"2026-03-11T19:11:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T00:11:05","slug":"um-study-shows-spiral-sound-can-shift-sideways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/um-study-shows-spiral-sound-can-shift-sideways\/","title":{"rendered":"UM Study Shows Spiral Sound Can Shift Sideways"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Research could have implications for fine acoustic measurements, manipulation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

by Clara Turnage<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A new University of Mississippi<\/strong> study shows that some sound waves don’t just move forward \u2013 they also move slightly to the side. Understanding this movement could help researchers develop more precise acoustic tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Likun Zhang<\/strong>, associate professor of physics and astronomy and senior scientist at the National Center for Physical Acoustics<\/strong><\/a>, published his team’s study on behavior of spiral sound waves in Physical Review Letters<\/a>, a premier journal for physics research.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The experiment is the first measurement of the Hall Effect<\/strong><\/a> as it applies to acoustics. The Hall Effect occurs when something traveling forward \u2013 traditionally an electric current \u2013 is deflected slightly to the side by an external influence such as a magnetic field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“About five years ago, our group extended the concept of the Hall Effect to acoustics, where we predicted that this would be the case,” Zhang said. “But this follow-up is the first time that we’ve been able to say, experimentally, ‘Here is that shift, and we can prove that it’s there.'”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding this effect could help researchers better control structured sound waves, which could improve medical instruments, communications and other technology that rely on sound. Acoustic tweezers<\/a>, for example, use sound waves to manipulate particles<\/a> as small as a nanometer. For comparison, a single human hair is about 100,000 nanometers wide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In cases where such extreme precision is necessary, understanding how the Hall Effect can influence sound could aid in designing more deft equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This is important in understanding sound wave physics, but also in practical applications,” Zhang said. “For instance, we can use this beam to rotate objects like a sonic wrench.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“In biomedical engineering, this would allow us to mix fluids, move micro-particles in cells or tissue, but it could also be used in acoustic communication like in underwater environments.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using vortex beams \u2013 sound that spirals forward \u2013 Zhang and his team were able to shift the direction of the beam slightly by passing it through a specially engineered surface, shifting the beam’s angular momentum and demonstrating the acoustic orbital Hall Effect for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Hall Effect was discovered in the late 19th century and is considered one of the foundational experimental results in solid state physics,” said Kevin Beach<\/strong>, Ole Miss chair and associate professor of physics and astronomy<\/a>. “Dr. Zhang and his coauthors have demonstrated that an entirely analogous effect can be produced in the context of acoustic waves using metamaterials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This is an astonishing achievement. And it’s a delight to see Hall Effect physics appear in such an unexpected place.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the team predicted in their 2021 publication<\/a>, the shift in the vortex beam is extremely small and difficult to measure. Unlike their previous research, however, this experiment was not a digital model in an idealized scenario, but a physical experiment in the real world, where any minute change might affect the outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“This is a very interesting interaction between sound and materials that has never been noticed before,” Nathan Murray<\/strong>, director of the acoustics center. “Understanding subtle effects like this one can ultimately unlock potential designs for new technologies that use sound to measure or even move tiny objects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Research like this strengthens the scientific foundation that future acoustic technologies can build on.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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