Star Trek-Like Teleportation Of Data (Not Humans) Possible Using Quantum Mechanics
We have talked about teleportation for ages through print media and on big screens. The phenomenon of disappearing from one location and appearing at the other without traveling the physical space between them - is fascinating for one and all (partly because it defies the basic laws of physics). As shown in Star Trek and several other sci-fi movies, humans are able to teleport through some machine such as the "Transporter". Well, a research team at TU Delft's Kavli Institute of Nanoscience headed by Prof. Ronald Hanson, has found a breakthrough innovation by being able to demonstrate teleportation of information (not humans) using the power of Quantum Mechanics. They have deterministically transferred information contained in a quantum bit to a different quantum bit situated 3 meters away, without traveling through the intervening space. How amazing is that?
This is a significant step both in the fields of Quantum Mechanics as well as data computation. The researchers have paved way for developing the Quantum Internet of the future, where ultra-fast quantum computers shall solve certain important problems that today's supercomputers are unable to fathom. Using a intriguing phenomenon of entanglement. Contrary to the great scientist Albert Einstein's beliefs, it has come to light that when 2 particles become entangled, their identities merge, disappearing their individual identities and giving shape to their collective state. The entangled particles shall then behave as one entity, even when separated by a large distance. This means teleporting data from one end of the world to other could be possible.
The team of researchers used electrons in diamonds to produce qubits. They could set the spin (rotational direction) of these particles in a predetermined state and also verify this spin and later read out the data. Prof. Hanson and his team is now looking forward to repeating this experiment over a much larger distance of 1300 metres, with chips located in various buildings on TU Delft's campus. In their attempt to disprove Einsteinâs rejection of entanglement, the team would go forward with the experiment that shall be the world's first to meet the criteria of the 'loophole-free Bell test', which is considered to be the Holy Grail within quantum mechanics. Whoa.
If all goes well, we believe that our highway to achieve Quantum Internet would become shorter by a huge margin. We look forward to witness the results of their upcoming experiment this summer. What are your thoughts on Quantum mechanics, teleportation and Star Trek? Share with us in comments below.
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