A "step" towards the teleportation: experiment between two atoms

For the first time has been made a transfer of information without the action of a third element. The teleportation of the Star Trek science fiction has taken a major step toward reality. Starring, at the moment, are not two astronauts but two atoms. It may seem little and instead step made is considered important not just to compete with Star Trek, but to see how close it is possible the legendary frontier of quantum computers. Two research teams from U.S. universities of Maryland and Michigan for the first time managed to transfer the characteristics of one atom to another atom B a meter away, strictly speaking.

THE EXPERIMENT - The atom A was raised in a quantum state hitting it with a pulse of microwaves. Both of these atoms were then irradiated with laser pulse caused by the release of each of a photon. The photon coming from an atom in a quantum state had some different information that of B untreated. It was at this stage that scientists examining the photons have discovered that because of the phenomenon of 'entanglement' the atom B had assumed the characteristics of A. Decipher and explain the phenomena without the quantum formulas is difficult, but this, in short and very simple, it's what happened with great satisfaction of the responsible researchers for significant progress in a field of study of great practical interest. "In the past - said Christopher Monroe, a leader of the group at the University of Maryland - were obtained teleportation phenomena between photons, and photons between atoms and between atoms, but always with the action of a third element outside. This time the teleportation is absolutely clean and made directly between two atoms without any help. "

FAST COMPUTER - The result is published on Science the American scientific journal. "Our system - adds Monroe - has the opportunity to form the basis for a large scale quantum repeater and may be a network of quantum memories over very large distances. It can also be used to make quantum transaction creating the basic component of which needs the future quantum computer. The repetition of the word 'quantum' may seem unseemly, but in this case it is better to be clear and avoid misunderstandings. Quantum computers as well as being many times more powerful and immensely faster than the present and for use in the difficult calculations to build encryption codes capable of protecting secrets especially communications, are suitable for a variety of applications today unthinkable. This is why the research of the two universities were also funded by the National Science Foundation by a contract of U.S. Army Research Office.