The discovery is that it does so through elastic waves, similar to those triggered by earthquakes. The results of this discovery can also be applied in practice.

"Up to now we have only known that light can move matter as a whole, but we are now the first to show how this light momentum is transferred through elastic waves which travel through matter. Similar waves are detected during an earthquake." says Tomaž Požar from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ljubljana.

So how is it possible to measure such a thing? Similar to the sound triggered by a hammer in use, when laser pulses reflect from a mirror they generate a very quiet sound in the form of elastic waves – a sound which the scientists managed to "hear" i.e. measure.

Apart from the discovery itself, the instruments used and developed during the research are also promising.

"We developed sensory devices to that extent, that they can also be used in other applications. Another thing is that we developed a platform through which we can conclude the classical theory of electrodynamics," explained Požar.

The findings can be used to develop highly sensitive instruments, like for example the ones used to perform laser eye surgery.