Scientists have developed a new model that explains how photon efficiency changes at higher wavelengths, paving the way for a more efficient quantum internet.
Materials scientists exploring the efficiency of photons as carriers of information have developed a model that explains how the efficacy of those light particles changes at higher wavelengths. Their findings could significantly impact the development of a highly anticipated technological breakthrough: a quantum communications network.
Today’s fiber-optics are capable of transmitting photons with minimal loss at the wavelengths used for telecommunications. In a quantum system, photons function like bits in a classical computer.The quantum internet does not yet exist, but it is expected to resemble a network of quantum computers transmitting information as quantum bits, or qubits.
“Atoms are constantly vibrating, and those vibrations can drain energy from a light emitter,” said Chris Van de Walle, a materials scientist at UC Santa Barbara and co-author of the paper, in a university. “As a result, rather than emitting a photon, a defect might instead cause the atoms to vibrate, reducing the light-emission efficiency.”
The team noted that they don’t believe a “Goldilocks” single-photon emitter has yet been discovered, but they believe it would have a transmission energy of around 1.5 electronvolts. “In light of the much higher efficiencies achievable at shorter wavelengths, we suggest that if telecom wavelengths are required for transmission in optical fibers, quantum frequency conversion should be considered alongside direct generation,” the team wrote.
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