Physicists Teleport Quantum State of a Photon to a Crystal Over Record Distance

Did you know that physicists are working on teleportation--and did you know that they've succeeded? Scientists have managed to teleport the quantum state of a photon to a crystal over 25 kilometers of optical fiber. This completely overturns the record of 6 kilometers set 10 years ago.

The latest experiment tests quantum entanglement and its properties. First, imagine two entangled photons-two photons inextricably linked by their joint states. One if propelled along an optical fiber, but not the other, which is set to a crystal. A third photon hits the first, which then obliterates both of them. Scientists measured this collision and found that the information contained in the third photon wasn't destroyed and found its way to the crystal, which also contained the second entangled photon.

The scientists observed "that the quantum state of the two elements of light, these two entangled photons which are like two Siamese twins, is a channel that empowers the teleportation from light into matter," said Felix Bussieres, lead author of the new paper, in a news release.

The findings actually verify that the quantum state of a photon can be maintained while transporting it into a crystal without the two coming directly into contact. Essentially, the crystal functions as a memory bank for storing the photon's information.

The new experiment represents a significant technological achievement. Not only that, but it's also an advance when it comes to the possibilities affordable by the quantum dimension. The fact that the researchers were able to do this experiment over 25 kilometers is huge in terms of future discoveries and advancements.

The findings are published in the journal Nature Photonics.