Add BrightSurf on Google Email

When the pigeon and the letter do not travel together

Researchers at the University of Vienna successfully implemented a counterfactual communication protocol, where information travels from Bob to Alice while photons travel in the opposite direction. This innovation resolves two major drawbacks of previous implementations and contradicts a crucial premise of communication theory.

SourceUniversity of Vienna·Journalnpj Quantum Information·DateJul 23, 2019

Rice device channels heat into light

Researchers at Rice University have created a device that channels waste heat into light, enabling more efficient solar energy systems. The technology, which utilizes carbon nanotube films, aims to simplify the process of turning heat into electricity with high efficiency.

SourceRice University·JournalACS Photonics·DateJul 12, 2019

Secure metropolitan quantum networks move a step closer

A joint team of Chinese scientists has demonstrated CV-QKD transmission over commercial deployed fiber links with distances of up to 50 kilometers. The system achieved higher secret key rates compared to previous laboratory tests, overcoming challenges such as environmental perturbations and equipment losses.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalQuantum Science and Technology·DateMay 29, 2019

Photons trained for optical fiber obstacle course will deliver stronger cyber security

A new approach enables the smooth navigation of photons through complex optical fiber obstacle courses, preserving entanglement and correlation. This breakthrough boosts expectations for quantum key distribution (QKD) technology, which uses signals in particles of light to create encryption keys.

New quantum sensor could improve cancer treatment

The new quantum sensor developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo promises significant advancements in long-range 3D imaging and monitoring the success of cancer treatments. The sensors can detect single particles of light with high timing resolution, speed, and efficiency over an unparalleled wavelength range.

SourceUniversity of Waterloo·JournalNature Nanotechnology·DateMar 4, 2019

Researchers move closer to practical photonic quantum computing

A new measurement technique called COSPLI enables researchers to map and measure large-scale photonic quantum correlation with single-photon sensitivity, a critical step towards making photon-based quantum computing practical. The method uses CCD cameras and suppresses noise to detect signals from individual photons.

SourceOptica·JournalOptica·DateFeb 28, 2019

Electron-gun simulations explain the mechanisms of high-energy cosmic rays

Chinese physicists develop mathematical equations and computer simulations to model photodetachment of negative ions via photons, simulating cosmic rays' collisions with planets. The speed of a moving surface significantly affects the chances of photodetachment, with Chloride (Cl-) ions being less prone than hydrogen (H-) ions.

SourceSpringer·JournalThe European Physical Journal D·DateFeb 6, 2019

Classic double-slit experiment in a new light

A research team at the University of Cologne has successfully performed a variant of the double-slit experiment using resonant inelastic X-ray scattering. The experiment provided valuable information about the dynamic physical properties of solids and proved a fundamental theoretical prediction from 1994.

SourceUniversity of Cologne·JournalScience Advances·DateJan 18, 2019

The orderly chaos of black holes

Researchers discovered that photons emitted during black hole creation appear to be disordered, yet highly ordered within short time slices. This contradicts theories of either complete polarization or randomness, presenting new challenges for understanding the birth environment of black holes.

SourceUniversité de Genève·JournalNature Astronomy·DateJan 14, 2019