A breakthrough in the study of the properties of light could pave the way for the future of quantum computing. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL) have found a way to determine how light behaves outside the constraints of wavelengths, which opens up possibilities for encoding quantum data in a science fiction-style holographic light array. The team took advantage of the quantum nature of the interaction between electrons and light to separate the beams energetically rather than spatially, which allowed them to use pulses of light to encrypt electron wavefunction information and display it with a fast electron microscope.
Existing methods for studying light and extracting 3D information are inherently limited by wavelengths. The new technology makes it possible to significantly increase the resolution and even obtain holographic films about fast moving objects.
This development is in its early stages, and it will be a long time before it can be implemented in quantum devices. Meanwhile, it opens the door to a future that will use safe small quantum processors. Existing quantum computers tend to be gigantic room-sized machines - and while there is no guarantee that the development of EPFL will result in computing devices that will fit in a pocket or on a desktop, it is an important step in the right direction.
Author: Sergey Lukavsky