Toward new quantum possibilities: Seeing a photon without absorbing it
Thursday, November 14, 2013 - 16:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Scientists can detect an optical photon twice. Light is of fundamental importance. It allows us to see the world around us and record pictures of our environment. It enables communication over long distances through optical fibers. All current methods of detecting light share a common property: absorption and thus destruction of a photon. It has been a long-standing dream to be able to watch individual photons fly by without absorbing them. Scientists have now for the first time realized a device which leaves the photon untouched upon detection. This provides new possibilities for using single photons in quantum communication and quantum information processing.