Researchers have captured quantum uncertainty in real time using ultrafast pulses of light, marking a significant breakthrough in quantum optics.
Why it matters: This discovery combines quantum optics with ultrafast science for the first time, opening the door to new applications in secure communication and the development of ultrafast quantum optics.
The details:
- The researchers used “squeezed light,” which is stretched into an oval shape, making one property more precise while the other becomes noisier.
- They devised a method to produce extremely short light bursts using a process called four-wave mixing, splitting a laser into three identical beams and focusing them into fused silica.
- The team demonstrated the ability to alternate between intensity and phase squeezing by adjusting the silica’s position relative to the split beam.
- This is the first-ever demonstration of ultrafast squeezed light and the first real-time measurement and control of quantum uncertainty.
The researchers have applied their technique to the field of secure communications, enhancing both speed and security by combining ultrafast and squeezed light pulses.
What they’re saying:
- “Creating quantum light with ultrafast pulses would be a revolutionary step, combining quantum optics with ultrafast science for the first time,” said Mohammed Hassan, the paper’s corresponding author.
- “This is the first-ever demonstration of ultrafast squeezed light and the first real-time measurement and control of quantum uncertainty,” Hassan noted.
- “By combining ultrafast lasers with quantum optics, we are opening the door to a new field: ultrafast quantum optics,” Hassan added.
Beyond secure communications, Hassan envisions that ultrafast quantum light will advance fields such as quantum sensing, chemistry, and biology, potentially leading to more precise diagnostics, new drug discovery methods, and ultrasensitive detectors for environmental monitoring.
What’s next: This breakthrough opens exciting possibilities for quantum technologies, including petahertz-scale secure quantum communication, quantum computing, and ultrafast spectroscopy, paving the way for exploring quantum uncertainty dynamics and establishing a foundation for the emerging ultrafast and attosecond quantum science fields.
