Washington: In a major leap towards
the development of quantum communication systems and superfast computers, scientists claim to have developed the world's most
efficient quantum memory for light.
An international team has used a technique which it
pioneered to stop and control light from a laser, manipulating
electrons in a crystal cooled to a chilly -270degrees Celcius
-- and the unprecedented efficiency and accuracy of the system
allows the delicate quantum nature of the light to be stored,
manipulated, and recalled.
"Light entering the crystal is slowed all the way to
a stop, where it remains until we let it go again. When we do
let it go, we get out essentially everything that went in as
a three-dimensional hologram, accurate right down to the last
photon.
"Because of the inherent uncertainty in quantum
mechanics, some of the information in this light will be lost
the moment it is measured, making it a read-once hologram.
Quantum mechanics guarantees this information can only be read
once, making it perfect for secure communication," team leader
Morgan Hedges of Australian National University said.
PTI
First Published: Friday, June 25, 2010, 11:12