Scientists demonstrate quantum state exchange between light and matter

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This schematic of the scientistsacute experiment shows a light pulse illuminating a cesium atom in an optical cavity where the quantum states of the light and atom are mapped onto each other. When the light pulse exits its interference with the origi ...
This schematic of the scientists' experiment shows a light pulse illuminating a cesium atom in an optical cavity, where the quantum states of the light and atom are mapped onto each other. When the light pulse exits, its interference with the original pulse demonstrates the reversibility of the state transfer. Image credit: Boozer, et al.

Quantum computers offer the promise of processing information much more efficiently than classical computers. But before quantum computers can be built, scientists must confront several challenges, one of which is quantum computers' vulnerability to their surroundings. Interaction with outside forces would immediately damage a quantum computer's information; this problem is known as "decoherence."


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