Physicists at the CUNY Graduate Center have successfully demonstrated a laboratory-based method to replicate the Penrose-Zel’dovich process, a theoretical mechanism for extracting energy from rotating black holes. By utilizing synthetic rotation, the team bypassed the need for mechanical motion or astrophysical conditions to observe wave amplification in a controlled setting.
Sir Roger Penrose first proposed in the 1960s that a particle entering a black hole’s ergosphere could split, with one fragment escaping with more energy than the original. Physicist Yakov Zel’dovich later expanded this concept to waves, theorizing that waves interacting with a sufficiently fast-rotating object could draw energy from that rotation. These theories remained largely confined to the realm of astrophysics due to the impossibility of creating such conditions in a controlled setting.
The research team at the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center, or CUNY ASRC, published their findings in the journal Nature on July 8, 2026. They developed a radio frequency device that utilizes a ring-shaped network of electronic resonators to simulate extreme rotational speeds. The properties of these resonators change in a precisely timed sequence, creating a pattern that travels around the ring without any physical movement.
This engineered system produces synthetic ultrafast rotation, allowing electromagnetic waves to interact with the device as if it were spinning at relativistic speeds. The experiment confirmed that waves with specific rotational characteristics extract energy from this synthetic motion, resulting in broadband selective amplification. This result provides the first experimental validation of the wave-based energy extraction predicted by Zel’dovich.
The team focused on the central question of whether electromagnetic waves sent into a stationary device could behave as though they were interacting with a rapidly spinning object. By manipulating the resonators, the researchers created a traveling pattern that forced the waves to experience the system as if it were spinning at an enormous speed. This methodology effectively bypasses the mechanical limitations that have historically prevented such experiments from being conducted in a laboratory environment.
Andrea Alù, a Distinguished Professor and Einstein Professor of Physics at the CUNY Graduate Center and founding director of the CUNY ASRC’s Photonics Initiative, served as the principal investigator for the project. He noted that the approach facilitates a new method of wave-matter interaction that moves extreme rotational dynamics from theoretical models to practical laboratory experimentation. The study was supported by the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and the Simons Foundation.
Lead author Hadiseh Nasari, a postdoctoral researcher at the CUNY ASRC, emphasized that the platform serves as a versatile tool for exploring phenomena at the intersection of astrophysics, wave physics, and quantum science. The team utilized metamaterials, which are engineered structures designed to manipulate wave propagation in ways not possible with naturally occurring materials. These materials were essential in reproducing the behavior predicted by Penrose and Zel’dovich without requiring a black hole.
The ability to simulate extreme rotation without physical movement offers a significant advantage for researchers studying high-energy environments. Synthetic rotation can imitate apparent motion that exceeds the speed of light, providing a controlled environment to test theories that were previously inaccessible. This capability allows for the investigation of fundamental physics in a regime that would otherwise remain purely speculative, offering a new lens through which to view the mechanics of the universe.
The implications of this research extend into practical fields such as wireless communications, classical optics, and quantum optics. By mastering the interaction between waves and synthetic rotation, scientists may develop new methods for controlling light and processing information. The research demonstrates how principles derived from the most extreme environments in the universe can be translated into technological applications that operate within standard laboratory parameters.
Future work will focus on integrating these findings into photonic and quantum systems to refine the control of wave phenomena. Researchers aim to determine how these principles can be scaled for real-world devices, potentially leading to advancements in signal processing and energy management. The successful replication of this phenomenon marks a shift in how experimentalists approach the study of rotational dynamics in both classical and quantum contexts, opening doors for future exploration of wave-matter interactions.
