(Folio.ca) Physicists at the University of Alberta have developed technology that can translate data from microwaves to optical light—an advance that has promising applications in the next generation of super-fast quantum computers and secure fibre-optic telecommunications.
“Many quantum computer technologies work in the microwave regime, while many quantum communications channels, such as fibre and satellite, work with optical light,” explained Lindsay LeBlanc, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Ultracold Gases for Quantum Simulation. “We hope that this platform can be used in the future to transduce quantum signals between these two regimes.”
LeBlanc and Davis are part of Quanta, an NSERC CREATE program designed to train graduate students in emerging quantum technologies.
“This idea arose by having talks and meeting within the Quanta group—and it turned out to work as well or better than we first expected,” said LeBlanc.
“This sort of discovery-led research can be very fruitful, and lead us to new possibilities.”
Funding for the project was provided by Alberta Innovates.