Combining 6 photons together results in highly robust quantum information.Byline: ANI Washington, October 6 (ANI): In a new research, a team of physicists in Sweden and Poland has found that combining 6 photons together can result in highly robust qubits, or quantum information In quantum mechanics, quantum information is physical information that is held in the "state" of a quantum system. The most popular unit of quantum information is the qubit, a two-state quantum system. . Exploiting quantum mechanics quantum mechanics: see quantum theory. quantum mechanics Branch of mathematical physics that deals with atomic and subatomic systems. It is concerned with phenomena that are so small-scale that they cannot be described in classical terms, and it is for transmitting information is a tantalizing tan·ta·lize tr.v. tan·ta·lized, tan·ta·liz·ing, tan·ta·liz·es To excite (another) by exposing something desirable while keeping it out of reach. possibility because it promises secure, high-speed communications. Unfortunately, the fragility of methods for storing and sending quantum information has so far frustrated the enterprise. Now, a team of physicists in Sweden and Poland has shown that photons that encode data have strength in numbers in numbered parts; as, a book published in numbers. See also: Number . In classical communications, a bit can represent one of two states - either 0 or 1. But because photons are quantum mechanical objects, they can exist in multiple states at the same time. Photons can also be combined, in a process known as entanglement, to store a bit of quantum information (that is, a qubit (QUantum BIT) A data bit in quantum computing. Such an entity can hold more than two values. See quantum computing. ). Unlike data stored in a computer or typically sent through conventional fiber optic cables, however, qubits are extremely fragile. A kink in a cable, the properties of the cable material, or even changes in temperature can corrupt a qubit and destroy the information it carries. But now, a group lead by Magnus Radmark at Stockholm University has shown that six entangled en·tan·gle tr.v. en·tan·gled, en·tan·gling, en·tan·gles 1. To twist together or entwine into a confusing mass; snarl. 2. To complicate; confuse. 3. To involve in or as if in a tangle. photons can encode information that stands up to some knocking around. Radmark and his team proved experimentally that their six photon qubits are robust and should be able to reliably carry information over long distances. The technology to encode useful information on the qubits and subsequently read it back is still lacking, but once those problems are solved, we will be well on our way to secure, reliable, and speedy quantum communication. (ANI) Copyright 2009 Asian News International The Asian News International (ANI) agency provides multimedia news to China and 50 bureaus in India. It covers virtually all of South Asia since its foundation and presently claims, on its official website, to be the leading South Asia-wide news agency. (ANI) - All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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