Washington DC, June 8 -- Physicists have managed to simulate a strange quantum phenomenon where light appears to arise from empty space a concept that until now has only existed in theory.

Using cutting-edge simulations, researchers modelled how powerful lasers interact with the so-called quantum vacuum, revealing how photons could bounce off each other and even generate new beams of light.

These breakthroughs come just as new ultra-powerful laser facilities are preparing to test these mind-bending effects in reality, potentially opening a gateway to uncovering new physics and even dark matter particles.

Using advanced computational modelling, a research team led by the University of Oxford, working in partnership with the Instituto Su...