Scientists Created New Form Of Light With Potential Use In Quantum Computing

Scientists have managed to get photons to interact well enough with each other to effectively produce a new form of light. The new photon matter has characteristics that are distinct from those of normal light particles.

In a study published in the journal Science, Vladan Vuletic, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and colleagues reported observing groups of three photons interacting and essentially sticking together to form a new kind of photonic matter.

The researchers said that the discovery of this new form of light may be used to perform complex and fast quantum computations and perhaps even pave way to the creation of real-life Star Wars lightsabers.
Different From Normal Light

The new form of light that the researchers created can be illustrated by the lightsaber used in the fictional Star Wars universe. The photons in the lightsaber beams would collide and crash into each other. Photons from two beams of normal light from flashlights, on the other hand, would pass right through each other.

In experiments, the researchers observed that when a very weak laser beam passes through a thick cloud of cold rubidium atoms, the photons come out bound together in pairs or in groups of three instead of exiting as single randomly spaced photons.

SOURCE :- techtimes