Scientists have stumbled upon a remarkable discovery that challenges our understanding of the quantum world. New research revealed the existence of a previously unknown type of vortex that emerges when photons, the elusive particles of light, engage in a mesmerizing dance of interaction.
The implications of this finding extend far beyond the realm of pure science, holding the potential to revolutionize the field of quantum computing.
The research team, led by a brilliant quartet of scientists — Dr. Lee Drori, Dr. Bankim Chandra Das, Tomer Danino Zohar, and Dr. Gal Winer — embarked on this journey of discovery in the hallowed halls of Prof. Ofer Firstenberg’s laboratory at the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Physics of Complex Systems Department.
The research team, led by a brilliant quartet of scientists — Dr. Lee Drori, Dr. Bankim Chandra Das, Tomer Danino Zohar, and Dr. Gal Winer — embarked on this journey of discovery in the hallowed halls of Prof. Ofer Firstenberg’s laboratory at the Weizmann Institute of Science’s Physics of Complex Systems Department.
Their initial goal was to explore efficient ways of harnessing the power of photons for data processing in quantum computers.
Little did they know that their quest would lead them down an unexpected path, into a world where the rules of classical physics are bent and the secrets of the quantum realm are laid bare.
Secret lives of photons
Photons, the fundamental particles of light, are known for their wave-like behavior. However, getting them to interact with each other is no easy feat. It requires the presence of matter that acts as an intermediary.
To create the perfect environment for photon interactions, the researchers designed a unique setup: a 10-centimeter glass cell containing a dense cloud of rubidium atoms, tightly packed in the center.
As photons passed through this cloud, the researchers closely examined their state to see if they had influenced one another.
“When the photons pass through the dense gas cloud, they send a number of atoms into electronically excited states known as Rydberg states,” Prof. Firstenberg explains.
He goes on to describe how, in these Rydberg states, a single electron within the atom begins to orbit at an astonishing distance, up to 1,000 times the diameter of an unexcited atom.
This electron, with its vastly expanded orbit, generates an electric field so powerful that it envelops and influences countless neighboring atoms, effectively transforming them into what Prof. Firstenberg poetically refers to as an “imaginary ‘glass ball.'”
Quantum vortex rings and colliding photons
As the researchers delved deeper into the interactions between photons, they stumbled upon something extraordinary.
When two photons passed relatively close to each other, they moved at a different speed than they would have if each had been traveling alone. This change in speed altered the positions of the peaks and valleys of the waves they carried.
In the ideal scenario for quantum computing applications, the positions of the peaks and valleys would become completely inverted relative to one another, a phenomenon known as a 180-degree phase shift. However, what the researchers observed was even more fascinating.
When the gas cloud was at its densest and the photons were in close proximity, they exerted the highest level of mutual influence.
But as the photons moved away from each other or the atomic density around them decreased, the phase shift weakened and disappeared.
Instead of a gradual process, the researchers were surprised to find that a pair of vortices developed when two photons were a certain distance apart.
Mysteries of photon vortices
To visualize photon vortices, imagine dragging a vertically held plate through water. The rapid movement of the water pushed by the plate meets the slower movement around it, creating two vortices that appear to be moving together along the water’s surface.
In reality, these vortices are part of a three-dimensional configuration called a vortex ring.
The researchers discovered that the two vortices observed when measuring two photons are part of a three-dimensional vortex ring generated by the mutual influence of three photons.
These findings showcase the striking similarities between the newly discovered vortices and those found in other environments, such as smoke rings.
Photon vortex: Quantum computing’s new ally
While the discovery of photon vortices has taken center stage, the researchers remain dedicated to their original goal of advancing quantum data processing.
SOURCE: by Eric Ralls
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