Quantum Signal conversion to wavelengths used in telecommunications
Using clouds of ultra-cold rubidium atoms and optically thick, a team of researchers has succeeded in making significant progress on three key elements needed for quantum information systems, including a technique to convert photons carrying quantum information wave lengths that can be transmitted over long distances using fiber optic networks.
The results closer quantum information networks (which encode the information securely to weave photons and atoms) to a possible prototype system.
The research, by scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has been funded by the Office of Scientific Research of the United States Air Force (USAF), the Office of Naval Research (under U.S. Navy) and the National Foundation Science, of the same nationality.
Among the advances, include the following:
- Development of an efficient, low noise to convert infrared photons carrying quantum information on photons with longer wavelengths, suitable for transmission over conventional telecommunications systems. Researchers have shown that the system, considered the first of its kind, keeps data when converting interlaced at wavelengths suitable for conventional telecommunications, and in the reverse conversion to the original infrared wavelengths.
- A significant improvement in the amount of time a quantum repeater (which would be necessary to transmit the information) can keep it in your memory. Institute that team was able to keep the information on this report for a split second, 30 times more than previously achieved by systems based on cold neutral atoms, and by the final sprint to the goal of quantum memory of at least a second, long enough to transmit the information to the next node in the network.
- An efficient, low noise, which can process those photons typical wavelengths in telecommunications today, to turn them back into photons carrying quantum information. A system with these characteristics would be needed to detect entangled photons transmitted by a quantum information system.
As pointed out Alex Kuzmich, the research team, this is another significant step towards acceptable operation of quantum information systems based on neutral atoms. For quantum repeaters and have given many of the basic steps, but achieving the required levels of operation for a system to use arduous reasonably practical to require optical engineering jobs.