Scientists have successfully transmitted quantum data and conventional data through a single optical fiber for the first time.
The research demonstrates that quantum data in the form of entangled photons and conventional internet data sent as laser pulses can coexist in the same fiber-optic cable.
Scientists have made a groundbreaking advancement in understanding light propagation through complex media, potentially revolutionizing fields like optical communication and medical imaging.
By introducing the concept of coherence entropy, a new metric for evaluating light behavior, they have provided a reliable tool for managing light fields in challenging environments. This research could significantly enhance the performance of systems that rely on light, particularly in situations where traditional methods fail due to media distortion.
Light technology is at the heart of many cutting-edge innovations, from high-speed internet to advanced medical imaging. However, transmitting light through challenging environments, such as turbulent atmospheres or deformed optical systems, has always posed a significant hurdle. These complexities can distort and disrupt the light field, making it difficult to achieve clear and reliable results. Scientists have long sought ways to overcome these limitations, and a new breakthrough may hold the key to advance practical applications.
Quantum is huge. Because quantum computing allows us to step beyond the current limitations of digital systems, it paves the way for a new era of computing machines with previously unthinkable power. Without recounting another simplified explanation of how quantum gets its power at length, we can reference the double-slit experiment and perhaps the spinning coin explanation.
A coin sat on a desk is either heads or tails, rather like the 1s and 0s that express the on or off values in binary code. Quantum theorists would prefer we think of the coin above the desk, spinning in the air. In this state, the coin is both heads and tails at the same time. This is because, at the quantum level, both values exist until we make an observation of its state at any given point in time. We could further increase the number of positions possible (literally known as quantum superposition) by altering the angle of view we take on the coin, which is somewhat similar to how we work with qubits in quantum mechanics.
So then, Schrödinger’s cat is both alive and dead at the same time and the dummies guide to quantum entanglement is out there on the web if needed. What matters most now is how we will make practical use of quantum computing and where it will be applied for best advantage.
Light technology is at the heart of many cutting-edge innovations, from high-speed internet to advanced medical imaging. However, transmitting light through challenging environments, such as turbulent atmospheres or deformed optical systems, has always posed a significant hurdle. These complexities can distort and disrupt the light field, making it difficult to achieve clear and reliable results. Scientists have long sought ways to overcome these limitations, and a new breakthrough may hold the key to advancing practical applications.
For the first time in human history, there are now 10,000 functioning satellites above our heads, whipping around the Earth at high speed. It’s a milestone that showcases decades of technical achievement but might also make it harder to sleep at night if you think about it for too long.
The count comes from the latest estimate by Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and leading watcher of most things orbital. McDowell estimates there are 10,036 active satellites in orbit as of July 18.
Remarkably, this figure has roughly quadrupled over just the past half-decade, thanks almost entirely to Elon Musk, SpaceX and their massive Starlink constellation of broadband routers in low-earth orbit.
Wireless internet supports the daily activities of countless people worldwide, ranging from their professional communications to internet browsing and the streaming of movies or TV series. This spiking demand for wireless internet access goes hand in hand with greater power consumption, which in turn contributes to carbon emissions worldwide.
Future wireless networks should be able to support the high computational demands of many modern applications and internet services, while limiting power consumption. Some researchers have thus been developing energy efficient techniques supporting communication between devices and the sharing of media or other information online.
One of these solutions is known as visible light communication (VLC). This is a method to realize efficient wireless communication using visible light to transmit data, relying on light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or other artificial light sources.
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Dear Subscribers, please see the latest Security & tech Insights newsletter covering emerging issues, trends and potential solutions in the world of cybersecurity. Thanks for reading and stay safe! Best, Chuck Brooks PS checkout my new book on Amazon: Inside Cyber: How AI, 5G, and Quantum Computing Will Transform Privacy and Our Security Amazon.com : Inside Cyber: How AI, 5G, and Quantum Computing Will Transform Privacy and Our Security: 9781394254941: Brooks, Chuck: Books.
In the search for less energy-hungry artificial intelligence, some scientists are exploring living computers.
Artificial intelligence systems, even those as sophisticated as ChatGPT, depend on the same silicon-based hardware that has been the bedrock of computing since the 1950s. But what if computers could be molded from living biological matter? Some researchers in academia and the commercial sector, wary of AI’s ballooning demands for data storage and energy, are focusing on a growing field known as biocomputing. This approach uses synthetic biology, such as miniature clusters of lab-grown cells called organoids, to create computer architecture. Biocomputing pioneers include Swiss company FinalSpark, which earlier this year debuted its “Neuroplatform”—a computer platform powered by human-brain organoids—that scientists can rent over the Internet for $500 a month.
We are constantly surrounded by electromagnetic waves such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals. What if we could turn the unused excess into usable energy? Researchers at Tohoku University, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Messina developed a novel technology to efficiently harvest ambient low-power radiofrequency (RF) signals into direct-current (DC) power. This ‘rectifier’ technology can be easily integrated into energy harvesting modules to power electronic devices and sensors, enabling battery-free operation.
The results were published in Nature Electronics (“Nanoscale spin rectifiers for harvesting ambient radiofrequency energy”).
Schematic illustration of a wireless network with energy-harvesting modules. RF signals that are unused by electronic gadgets and would otherwise go to waste are used to generate usable DC power to drive sensors and devices. (Image: Shunsuke Fukami & Hyunsoo Yang)
