Boost for the quantum internet

First long-distance quantum repeater node for telecommunication networks

2023-05-23

(Press-News.org) Quantum networks connect quantum processors or quantum sensors with each other. This allows tap-proof communication and high-performance distributed sensor networks. Between network nodes, quantum information is exchanged by photons that travel through optical waveguides. Over long distances, however, the likelihood of photons being lost increases dramatically. As quantum information cannot simply be copied and amplified, 25 years ago Hans Briegel, Wolfgang Dür, Ignacio Cirac and Peter Zoller, then all at the University of Innsbruck, provided the blueprints for a quantum repeater. These feature light-matter entanglement sources and memories to create entanglement in independent network links that are connected between them by a so-called entanglement swap to finally distribute entanglement over long distances.

Even transmission over 800 kilometers possible Quantum physicists led by Ben Lanyon from the Department of Experimental Physics at the University of Innsbruck have now succeeded in building the core parts of a quantum repeater — a fully functioning network node made with two single matter systems enabling entanglement creation with a photon at the standard frequency of the telecommunications network and entanglement swapping operations. The repeater node consists of two calcium ions captured in an ion trap within an optical resonator as well as single photon conversion to the telecom wavelength. The scientists thus demonstrated the transfer of quantum information over a 50-kilometer-long optical fiber, with the quantum repeater placed exactly halfway between starting and end point. The researchers were also able to calculate which improvements of this design would be necessary to make transmission over 800 kilometers possible which would allow to connect Innsbruck to Vienna.

The current results were published in Physical Review Letters. Funding for the research was provided by a START award from the Austrian Science Fund FWF, the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the European Union, among others. Lanyon's team is part of the Quantum Internet Alliance, an international project under the EU Quantum Flagship.

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

ICUconnect app helped clinicians address unmet palliative care needs across course of ICU care

2023-05-23

Session: C16, The Road to Recovery: Improving Long-Term Outcomes After Critical Illness Date and Time: 9:24 a.m. ET, Tuesday, May 23, 2023 Location: WEWCC, Room 143 A-C (Street Level) ATS 2023, Washington, DC – In a randomized controlled trial, ICUconnect helped ICU physicians to reduce unmet palliative care needs of critically ill patients and their families better than standard care did, according to research published at the ATS 2023 International Conference. ICUconnect is a mobile app that enables families to give and receive ...

Hertz Foundation announces 2023 Hertz Fellows

2023-05-23

Pleasanton, Calif., May 23, 2023 — The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the most promising innovators in science and technology, has announced the 2023 Hertz Fellows, 15 remarkable doctoral students in applied science, engineering and mathematics. By funding their graduate studies for five years, Hertz Fellowships provide each new fellow the freedom to tackle some of the most significant challenges facing our nation and the world today. Their research promises to improve human health, usher in advances in artificial intelligence and quantum technologies that redound to the greater good, yield a deeper understanding of our universe, contribute ...

Photon-counting CT offers superior imaging in babies with heart defects

2023-05-23

OAK BROOK, Ill. – A new advanced form of CT imaging called photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) offers better cardiovascular imaging quality at a similar radiation dose compared to dual-source CT (DSCT) in infants with suspected cardiac heart defects, according to a study published in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Congenital heart defects are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the neonatal period, occurring in up to one percent of live births. Of those, approximately 25% are critical defects requiring surgical intervention within the first month after birth. ...

Viral transmission in schools

2023-05-23

Schoolchildren in China, tracked with wearable devices, provide data about close contact behavior that may influence viral transmission, according to a study. Nan Zhang and colleagues fitted wearable trackers on 24 children at a school comprising of primary, middle, and high school students in Jiangsu Province, China. Two volunteers were selected from each grade, 1–12, and asked to sit near the middle of the classroom. For 45 minutes during class and 10 minutes during breaks between two classes, the devices recorded the children’s interpersonal distance, face orientation, relative position (horizontal and vertical), close ...

Ready, set, go: New study shows how marathon running affects different foot muscles

2023-05-23

With the current trend of fitness consciousness, many people have taken up long-distance running as a part of their exercise regime. They also participate in various local, national, and global marathons. But marathon running can lead to muscular fatigue and damage in the foot muscles, which can in turn lead to chronic pain or injuries. At present, there is little information on the impact of marathon running on the various foot muscles. Foot muscles are generally categorized as either intrinsic or extrinsic muscles. While intrinsic muscles originate and insert within the foot, extrinsic muscles originate ...

Lessons from blockbusters to help teams adapt

2023-05-23

AMES, IA – We all like to think of ourselves as rational human beings. If there’s a drastic change in our lives or at work, we can evaluate our options and make the best choice. But James Summers, an expert in team management and adaptation at Iowa State University, says our ability to process information breaks down when we experience heightened negative emotions. Fear and anxiety can lead to withdrawal and avoidance, both of which hinder a group’s ability to coordinate and overcome challenges. Because of this, many researchers ...

Flavonol-rich foods like apples and blackberries can lower chances of developing frailty

2023-05-23

Eating plant-based foods that contain dietary compounds called flavonols can lower your chances of developing frailty. Foods like apples and blackberries that contain flavonoids called quercetin may be the most important for frailty prevention. Approximately 10% to 15% of older adults experience frailty, a geriatric syndrome that leads to a greater risk of falls, fractures, disability, hospitalization, and mortality. Current dietary recommendations for frailty prevention primarily focus on protein intake. However there are many other foods that may have health benefits “There ...

Researchers want to use ‘biochar’ to combat climate change

2023-05-23

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new review of research suggests that the nature-based technology biochar – a carbon-rich material – could be an important tool to use in agriculture to help mitigate climate change. Made by pyrolysis, a process that involves heating organic material in a low-oxygen environment, biochar – a charcoal-like, porous substance – has long been utilized for crop production as a soil amendment or carbon sequestration agent. In recent years, researchers have seen a resurgence of heightened interest in the technology due to its unique physical structure and its various agricultural ...

Researchers build bee robot that can twist

2023-05-23

PULLMAN, Wash. – A robotic bee that can fly fully in all directions has been developed by Washington State University researchers. With four wings made out of carbon fiber and mylar as well as four light-weight actuators to control each wing, the Bee++ prototype is the first to fly stably in all directions. That includes the tricky twisting motion known as yaw, with the Bee++ fully achieving the six degrees of free movement that a typical flying insect displays. Led by Néstor O. Pérez-Arancibia, Flaherty associate professor in WSU’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, the researchers ...

How the COVID-19 pandemic impacted social cohesion

2023-05-23

Did the pandemic bring societies together or increase the drifting apart? That was one of the central questions posed by the scientists. "The empirical knowledge gained in this special issue deepens our understanding of the social consequences of the pandemic," says Dr. Mandi Larsen, a sociologist at Constructor University, "a well-founded scientific basis is also important in order to be able to better counteract future pandemics in socio-political terms." Together with her expert colleagues Dr. Georgi ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Women’s Health: Taking paracetamol during pregnancy does not increase risk of autism, ADHD or intellectual disabilities, confirms new gold-standard evidence review