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Pulses of Light to Encrypt Data and Protect Security of Cryptocurrencies


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An organic-molecule enhanced frequency comb.

A new frequency comb developed by researchers at the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering might be an effective tool for data encryption.

Credit: Vinh Diep and Alexa Hudnut

Researchers at the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering have developed a frequency comb they think could encrypt data and bolster the security of cryptocurrency.

The team says the comb boosts the potential application of lasers by converting a single wavelength into multiple wavelengths.

Not only is the tool infinitesimally smaller than traditional frequency combs, it also requires 1,000 times less power to operate, permitting mobile applications.

The researchers deposited a single layer of a 25-atom organic molecule on the surface of a laser, eliminating the introduction of silicon.

The team says frequency comb generators can be viewed as entangled photon generators, which is an important step toward quantum encryption.

The researchers also note key technical challenges to overcome included shrinking the size and power requirements of the frequency comb, although they say there are still many integration and manufacturing challenges remaining before quantum cryptography on portable platforms can become routine.

From USC Viterbi News
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Abstracts Copyright © 2018 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA


 

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