Structured photons of light will solve many challenges // Photo: shutterstock.com .
So physicists have demonstrated a way to purposefully shape light at the quantum level in space and time, creating multidimensional quantum states.
Photons “made to order”
The main advantage of photons obtained by the researchers is that each structured particle of light is able to carry more information and more effectively resist interference. This makes the technology for shaping “customized” photons particularly attractive for secure quantum communication systems.
“Tweaking quantum states, where quantum light is engineered for a specific purpose, has recently gained momentum and is finally beginning to fulfill its potential. Twenty years ago, the set of tools needed to do this was virtually non-existent. Now we have at our disposal compact and efficient sources of structured quantum light on chips that can create and control quantum states,” said one of the authors of the study, Professor Andrew Forbes of the University of the Witwatersrand.
Obstacles still remain, but they are surmountable
For all the innovation of the technology, there are still obstacles that scientists are working to overcome. In particular, the adaptation of channels for spatially structured photons and, consequently, increasing the range of signal transmission. Physicists are exploring ways to give quantum states topological properties that make quantum information more robust to perturbations.
“We have recently shown that quantum wave functions naturally have the potential to be topological, and this promises to preserve quantum information even when entanglement is fragile. The obstacles we have encountered in our research encourage us to look for new parameters. We are moving in the right direction,” Forbes emphasized, as quoted by Science Daily.
Modernity makes adjustments
Laboratories working according to modern standards are already moving from theoretical computing to the creation of compact devices. For example, microchips capable of creating and analyzing multidimensional quantum states are appearing, and new methods of ultrafast pulse shaping make it possible to control light almost like a musical melody.
Scientists from the University of Colorado (USA) have developed an optical device that allows to keep light on the chip and thus reduce its loss. This discovery contributes to the creation of compact sensors that can be produced on an industrial scale and used in various fields.
All of this brings us closer to the next generation of quantum networks that are stable, secure and incredibly capacious.
