Scientists have made a significant advancement in paving the way for the creation of a quantum Internet – an interconnected network of quantum computers. A network of “quantum memory” operating at room temperature has been successfully constructed for the first time in history.
During experiments, experts worked with two photon cubes, which are cubes created from photons (light particles), at the quantum level. This breakthrough is crucial as quantum memory is a foundational technology needed for the development of a quantum Internet, which is envisioned as the next generation of the World Wide Web.
In contrast to traditional computational memory that encodes data in binary states of 1 or 0, quantum memory stores data using quantum bits (qubits), which can exist in superposition as both 1 and 0. When observed, the superposition collapses, and the cube becomes as useful as a regular bit. It is anticipated that quantum computers with millions of qubits will be significantly more powerful than current supercomputers due to the interconnected nature of qubits allowing for simultaneous calculations.
A Quantum Internet is an Internet infrastructure that employs the principles of quantum mechanics to transmit data between quantum computers. However, the functioning of the quantum network relies on the existence of quantum memory. According to the authors of the work, the ability for arrays of quantum memory to operate together at the quantum level and at room temperature represents a crucial milestone towards establishing a quantum Internet on a large scale, something that has yet to be proven.
In recent years, quantum networks have had to be cooled to absolute zero for operation, limiting their practical applications. Scientists have now devised a method that enables the storage of two separate photons and successfully erases their quantum signature. This achievement was made at room temperature by storing photons in gaseous rubidium. Additionally, experts were able to demonstrate the quantum nature of photons through the interference of extracted photons, known as the Hong-Ou-Mandel effect, which is a distinct quantum characteristic.