Quantum computer photons create a vortex when they collide

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.

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.

The next phase of their study will involve firing photons into each other and measuring the phase shift of each photon separately.

The strength of these phase shifts could determine the potential for photons to be used as qubits, the basic units of information in quantum computing.

Unlike regular computer memory units, which can only be 0 or 1, quantum bits have the ability to represent a range of values between 0 and 1 simultaneously.

“The prevalent assumption was that this weakening would be a gradual process, but researchers were in for a surprise,” Dr. Eilon Poem and Dr. Alexander Poddubny, key contributors to the study, reveal.

They go on to describe the astonishing discovery that when two photons reached a specific distance from each other, a pair of vortices spontaneously emerged.

These vortices, characterized by a complete 360-degree phase shift of the photons, featured a peculiar void at their center, eerily reminiscent of the dark, calm eye found at the heart of other well-known vortices in nature.

New chapter in quantum physics

The journey that led to this discovery spanned eight years and saw two generations of doctoral students pass through Prof. Firstenberg’s laboratory.

Over time, the Weizmann scientists successfully created a dense, ultracold gas cloud packed with atoms, enabling them to achieve the unprecedented: photons that underwent a phase shift of 180 degrees or more.

As the research team continues to unravel the mysteries of photon interactions and their potential applications in quantum computing, one thing is certain: their findings have opened up a new realm of possibilities in the world of physics and beyond.

The full study was published in the journal Science.

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