When most people picture an antenna, they think of a slim metal rod, whether the thin, extendable rod on a portable FM radio or the towering structures used for radio and television broadcasting. In reality, antennas come in all shapes and sizes, from round parabolic dishes to conductive patterns printed onto circuit boards. However, whatever shape they take, they are typically solid structures. In work that would delight any Star Wars fan, scientists have now created an antenna from a plasma beam.