Physicists at Stony Brook University (USA) have made a significant advancement towards the realization of a quantum internet.
This breakthrough is based on the use of quantum memory at room temperature (15-28 degrees Celsius), which is a crucial factor for the future development of quantum networks.
The research from Stony Brook University has demonstrated the feasibility of basic quantum network measurements, marking a significant progress in the fields of quantum computing and communication.
Quantum internet reaches another milestone. (Illustrative image: Science post).
The quantum internet is seen as a future vision of connectivity, promising to revolutionize our current internet systems by providing enhanced security and unprecedented information processing capabilities.
Unlike the classical internet, this new technology will rely on the quantum states of particles and quantum entanglement to transmit information that cannot be forged.
| Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon of quantum mechanics, where the quantum states of two or more objects are connected, regardless of the distance separating them, even over distances of many light-years. |
The main challenge of this new technology is to overcome tests to achieve effective quantum repeaters, aiming to become the foundation of a global quantum network.
The experiment conducted by researchers at Stony Brook University focused on developing and characterizing quantum memory operating at room temperature.
This is considered a major improvement that significantly reduces the costs and complexities associated with quantum technologies that require near-zero temperatures.
By conducting the Hong-Ou-Mandel interference experiment, researchers were able to demonstrate that their room-temperature quantum memory could store and then retrieve qubits (qubits are the basic units of quantum computing based on quantum bits) without significantly altering their states.
This facilitates the potential for optical qubits to be entangled over long distances. This achievement paves the way for the creation of large-scale quantum repeaters, which are essential for the emergence of a quantum internet.
Currently, scientists are continuing to develop entangled sources compatible with these quantum memories and are exploring mechanisms to signal the presence of photons stored on the network.
The potential of the quantum internet to transform how we communicate, compute, and analyze data is immense.
New research and discoveries related to this modern technology mark a significant milestone on the promising path towards this technological revolution.
