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The Hindu
The Hindu
Technology
Awanish Pandey

Non-reciprocity: The physics of letting waves go one way but not the other

If you can hear someone on the other side of a wall, then that someone can hear you as well. This is something to keep in mind when you’re snooping on your neighbour – but this straightforward statement also embodies a profound principle of physics called reciprocity.

What is reciprocity?

Simply put, the principle asserts that if a signal can be transmitted from Point A (the source) to Point B (the destination), the same signal can also be transmitted from Point B to Point A, simply by exchanging the positions of the source and the destination.

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