Comments on: Shortest Single-Photon Pulse Generated: Implications for Quantum Communications in Space

By: Bill Brehm

Bill Brehm — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 04:23:59 +0000

What does it mean "shortest ever single-photon pulse"? isn't a single photon a single photon? How can one be longer than another? If this requires us to consider the wave properties of photons, does it mean the new record has 50X the wavelength or energy or something else? THanks.

By: JN

JN — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:02:46 +0000

Hi Frend
http://www.hypothesis-of-universe.com/en/index.php?nav=home

By: Chris S

Chris S — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:25:10 +0000

"Space scientists will have an extremely powerful resource so data can be sent though the vacuum, "

Do you mean "through?"

This is also similar to "ansible communication" in Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game" series and side series ("Ender's Shadow" series).

I agree with Peter K above that while this is about clear signals, it also implies faster than light communication; and if it's not implied then I believe we're entirely misreading the point here. After all, communication can be communicated as data, and this is (if I have not misread) about clear communication. If we are reading this correctly, then in the next few decades or so (or much more or much less, it's difficult to speculate with advancing technology) we will see an incredible leap in communications.

By: Peter K

Peter K — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:00:32 +0000

Yes, this article is about single protons that could be transmitted at light speed as a clear signal. However, it's not unrelated to think that FTL signals may be a consequence of our control over photonic communications. If one of an entangled pair is kept in stasis on Mars and the other on Earth, (and more likely several billion) then wouldn't that facilitate an instantaneous way of data transmission? Simply modulate the quantum state of the protons and read the resulting states at the other end, keyed to a computer to make the translation. Course, that would refute one of Einsteins key conjectures, that nothing, including information could move more quickly than c. Maybe then we'd find that there was no movement and that the two particles are connected by quantum sized wormholes so that Einstein remains the "man"!

By: Ian O'Neill

Ian O'Neill — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:44:15 +0000

Thanks Gavin, can't believe I didn't see that mistake – Corrected now

Cheers, Ian

By: owen

owen — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:22:44 +0000

it sounds amazing.

By: Robert Wilton Dale

Robert Wilton Dale — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 23:11:46 +0000

This looks very much like the 'Orb's' in my Trilogy. Check out 'Book Two' of my work.
Thanks,
Robert Wilton Dale – Author

By: Gavin Flower

Gavin Flower — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 22:43:20 +0000

"They are 20 microns long (or 0.000001 metres)"

Hmm…

1 micron = 10^-6 metre
= 0.000001 metre

so 20 microns = 0.00002 metre

By: zeb

zeb — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 19:50:55 +0000

You can't use entangled photons as a FTL transmitter. I'm not an expert, but I think that if you try, you just end up with a string of random numbers, which is obviously useless.

By: anomaly256

anomaly256 — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 15:58:07 +0000

You are all missing the point severely. This is not about faster than light communications, nor is it about using entanglement to transmit information. This is about /NOT/ having entanglement so there's no system to decohere and alter the state of the photons used for communications. Nor is this about encryption of any kind. It's about having a cleaner signal, making communications more reliable. Think of this as eliminating the static in your radio so you can hear a station better. That's all. While it's good to be a dreamer, please don't keep your heads so far in the clouds that you lose sight of the earth.

By: PHWilson

PHWilson — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 10:49:39 +0000

Somewhere, this very moment, someone is already inspired to be the first to hack Quanticryption. Implications indeed. The potential havoc weighs equally to the desired innovation. Still, that is how we learn. What a mindblowing boon to robotic exploration – amazing.

By: Joel Raupe

Joel Raupe — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:31:01 +0000

Entanglement is not eliminated in the experiment. The observational affect is eliminated, thus making a wide variety of "implications" boggle the mind, indeed. Teleportation, although the end product might be two of the same individuals in separate places. My my. Could the Galaxy survive that many Captain Kirks?

More importantly, the on and off "statements" that are at the heart of the ones and zeros of digital information. Superluminal communication… that's the first things that comes to mind… a real "Subspace Radio."

Very exciting stuff ahead.

By: Tyler Durden

Tyler Durden — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 05:38:24 +0000

If the entanglement issues have been resolved, couldn't this be used as a means of FTL communication?

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 05:31:45 +0000

Ive heard something about this before.
Although Im not fully aware of the concept, I remember this being an incredibly secure way to code information, as well as updating it. If one photon is kept local and the other transmitted, information can be changed instantaneously, with the same effect coming out on the other end…particularily useful if the communication is intercepted

By: Ian O'Neill

Ian O'Neill — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:31:22 +0000

chichi: "Implications" means "something that is inferred", it can be a benefit or a drawback…

Dave: Yes, I believe that if there is "entanglement interference" there is a problem with corruption or loss of data. That's pretty much it. However, I'm not totally convinced I understand this area of quantum physics that well… I'll hopefully get a look at the paper and get the lowdown soon

Cheers, Ian

By: Dave

Dave — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 23:07:37 +0000

Does this pose a problem of "lost information?" If the two photons are no longer entangled then it seems there is an information lost between the two..
And, yes, I have no idea what I am saying!

By: chichi

chichi — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 23:02:30 +0000

What are the "implications"? i only read benefits