Physicists at the University of Bonn have developed a method to manipulate Bose-Einstein condensates of light by structuring the reflective surfaces of their container, resulting in super photons that can maintain a unified state across multiple quantum spaces.
This breakthrough offers new potential for creating secure quantum communications by leveraging the quantum entanglement properties of light, paving the way for tap-proof discussions and transactions across multiple parties.
Bose-Einstein Condensate of Light
When numerous light particles are cooled to a very low temperature and simultaneously confined in a compact space, they suddenly become indistinguishable from one another and behave like a single super photon. Physicists call this a Bose-Einstein condensate and it normally resembles a blurry speck of light. “However, we have now managed to imprint a simple lattice structure on the condensate,” says Andreas Redmann from the Institute of Applied Physics (IAP) at the University of Bonn.
The researchers at the IAP create super photons by filling a tiny container with a dye solution. The side walls of the container are reflective. If the dye molecules are excited with a laser, they produce photons that bounce back and forth between the reflective surfaces. These light particles start off relatively warm. However, they repeatedly collide with the dye molecules as they move between the reflective surfaces and cool down until they finally condense to form a super photon.
Structural Influence of Reflective Surfaces
“The reflective surfaces are normally perfectly smooth,” explains Redmann. “We decided to deliberately add small indents to them, which figuratively speaking provide more space for the light to collect in them.” This effectively imprints a structure onto the condensate – almost like when you press a mold with one closed side downwards into a sandbox: If you lift it up again, you can still see the imprint of the mold in the sand.
“In this way, we have managed to create four regions where the condensate prefers to stay,” says Redmann. It is as if you were to divide a bowl of water between four cups arranged in quadratic form. In contrast to water, however, the super photon will not necessarily split into four smaller portions. If the cups are positioned closely enough together so that the light particles can pass quantum mechanically back and forth between them, it remains as one single condensate.
Potential for Quantum Communication
This property could be used, for example, to create so-called quantum entanglement. If the light in one cup changes its state, it will also impact the light in the other cups. This quantum physical correlation between the photons is a basic requirement for making the exchange of information – such as discussions or secret transactions – between several participants tap-proof.
“By deliberately changing the form of the reflective surfaces, it is theoretically possible to create Bose-Einstein condensates that are split between 20, 30, or even more lattice sites,” explains Redmann. “This would allow us to make the communication between lots of participants in a discussion tap-proof. Our study has shown for the first time how certain emission patterns can be deliberately created for use in a specific application. This makes the method extremely interesting for many different technological developments.”
Reference: “Bose-Einstein Condensation of Photons in a Four-Site Quantum Ring” by Andreas Redmann, Christian Kurtscheid, Niels Wolf, Frank Vewinger, Julian Schmitt and Martin Weitz, 30 August 2024, Physical Review Letters.
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.093602
The project was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the European Union (ERC Starting Grant) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR).
Never miss a breakthrough: Join the SciTechDaily newsletter.
Follow us on Google and Google News.
3 Comments
Thousands of light particles can merge into a type of “super photon” under certain conditions.
VERY GOOD!!!
This is a typical synchronous effect for topological vortices. The spatiotemporal structure for vortex energy gaps is closely related to the physicochemical properties of high-dimensional spatiotemporal matter. The natural essence of physical and chemical properties is the interaction for topological vortices and their fractal structures.
Scientific research guided by correct theories can help people avoid detours, failures, and exaggeration. The physical phenomena observed by researchers in experiments are always appearances, never the natural essence of things. The natural essence of things needs to be extracted and sublimated based on mathematical theories via appearances , rather than being imagined arbitrarily.
Everytime scientific revolution, the scientific research space brought by the new paradigm expands exponentially. Physics should not ignore the analyzable physical properties of topological vortices.
(1) Traditional physics: based on mathematical formalism, experimental verification and arbitrary imagination.
(2) Topological Vortex Theory: Although also based on mathematics (such as topology), it focuses more on non intuitive geometry and topological structures, challenging traditional physical intuition.
Extension of the Standard Model: Topological Vortex Theory points out the limitations of the Standard Model in describing the large-scale structure of the universe, proposes the need to consider non-standard model components such as dark matter and dark energy, and suggests that topological vortex fields may be key to understanding these phenomena.
Topological vortex theory heralds innovative technologies such as topological electronics, topological smart batteries, topological quantum computing, etc., which may bring low-energy electronic components, almost inexhaustible currents, and revolutionary computing platforms, etc.
Topology tells us that topological vortices and antivortices can form new spacetime structures via the synchronous effect of superposition, deflection, or twisting of them. In fact, mathematics does not tell us that there must be God particles, ghost particles, fermions, or bosons present. When physics and mathematics diverge, arbitrary imagination will make physics no different from theology.
Today, so-called official (such as PRL, Nature, Science, PNAS, etc.) in physics stubbornly believes that two sets of cobalt-60 rotating in opposite directions can become two sets of objects that mirror each other, is a typical case that pseudoscience is rampant and domineering. Please witness the exemplary collaboration between theoretical physicists and experimentalists (https://scitechdaily.com/microscope-spacecrafts-most-precise-test-of-key-component-of-the-theory-of-general-relativity/#comment-854286).
Let us continue to witness together the dirtiest and ugliest era in the scientific and humanistic history of human society. The laws of nature will not change due to misleading of so-called academic publications.
Well..
Earth is a container in a very cold place that allows photons to be collected in said container and that also provides/allows for reflections.
That being said, while I may not directly reply to the OP of the comment above, I have been paying attention and will add that I fully and firmly agree with that last sentence.
We have millions of pieces to the puzzle and it seems as if everyone got so distracted by capitalism and politics that they’ve set aside the puzzle or think it can be pieced together all willy nilly and in doing so have hung both the Earth and humanity out to dry.
Unfortunately for humanity the laws of nature indeed do not change.
Fortunately, we have enough pieces to put the puzzle together properly, and there are folks who have chosen to forego today’s societal structures in order to do exactly that.
Thank you for your understanding and comments. Fortunately, we have enough pieces to put the puzzle together properly, and there are folks who have chosen to forego today’s societal structures in order to do exactly that.