Communications of the ACM
Quantum Computers Can Talk to Each Other via a Photon Translator
A new system developed by researchers at the University of Paderborn, Germany, can convert photons from one spread of frequencies to another, while preserving their quantum state.
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Researchers from Germany's University of Paderborn have developed a system that can convert photons from one spread of frequencies to another, while still preserving their delicate quantum state.
The new system includes a converter that "translates" photons emitted from one component into the infrared region of the spectrum. The infrared photon is transmitted over a fiber-optic cable connected to a second component, and then translated into another frequency the receiving component can read.
Although the researchers have only converted infrared photons into visible wavelengths--while leaving their quantum state intact--with a success rate of about 75%, the technique could be adapted to build the full system, says Paderborn's Christine Silberhorn.
After the researchers develop the full system, the next step would be to determine how to fit the device on a chip that could be manufactured in large quantities. The science works, but "scalability is the biggest problem," says University of Washington professor Arka Majumdar. "Making the same device 1,000 times is extremely difficult."
From New Scientist
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