Scientists at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh have made a breakthrough discovery in engineering optical circuits that will shape the future of technologies such as unhackable communications networks and ultrafast quantum computers. Led by Professor Mehul Malik, an experimental physicist and Professor of Physics at Heriot-Watt’s School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, the team used commercial optical fibers commonly used for internet transmission to demonstrate a new method of programming optical circuits.
Optical circuits, which compute with light instead of electricity, are considered the next significant advancement in computing technology. However, as these circuits become more complex, controlling and fabricating them becomes increasingly challenging, affecting their performance. The researchers found a solution by harnessing the natural scattering behavior of light inside an optical fiber, allowing them to program optical circuits with high precision.
In their study published in the journal Nature Physics, the team explained that light entering an optical fiber undergoes complex scattering and mixing. By understanding and shaping this process, they were able to engineer precise circuits for light within the disorder of the fiber. This innovation is crucial for the development of quantum technologies that require optical circuits, such as quantum communications networks and quantum computers.
Optical circuits are essential components at the end of quantum communications networks, enabling the measurement of information after long-distance transmission. They are also vital for performing complex calculations with particles of light in quantum computers. These technologies are expected to revolutionize various fields, including drug development, climate prediction, space exploration, and artificial intelligence through machine learning.
Professor Malik emphasized the power of light in its multiple dimensions, stating that encoding a vast amount of information on a single particle of light unleashes significant processing power. Optical circuits offer the ability to compute with various properties, such as spatial structure, temporal structure, and color simultaneously, expanding the realm of possibilities.
Furthermore, the researchers demonstrated how their programmable optical circuits can manipulate quantum entanglement. Quantum entanglement refers to the connection between two or more quantum particles, even when they are physically separated by large distances. This phenomenon plays a critical role in quantum technologies, including error correction in quantum computers and the most secure forms of quantum encryption.
The collaborative research involved partner academics from Lund University in Sweden, Sapienza University of Rome in Italy, and the University of Twente in The Netherlands. By leveraging the natural characteristics of light within existing optical fibers, this breakthrough offers a versatile and efficient way to engineer optical circuits for future technologies. These findings bring us one step closer to unlocking the full potential of quantum computing, quantum communications, and other groundbreaking applications that rely on optical circuitry.
