Dr. Isaac Nape, a researcher and lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, presented his team’s findings relating to the manipulation of photons to create unique patterns on Friday, Jan. 24. Nape’s presentation focused on the rudiments of light manipulation and how it can be applied to computer processing and security.
Nape explained that classical computer computation and processing utilizes transistors, or switches, that can be either “on” or “off” and are associated with binary values. Contrary to this binary processing, quantum processing exploits wavelike features of atoms, electrons and photons, which act as more complex transistors. Nape likened light to a piece of fabric: One can manipulate light by twisting it, cutting it and altering how fast it waves. These manipulations correspond to scientist’s altering of light’s amplitude and phase, which allows for the coding of complex spatial patterns.
“Classical information processing looks at taking many complicated versions of switches or transistors,” Nape said. “With a switch, you have two well-defined states: an ‘on’ and ‘off’ state. These states can be associated with binary values of zeros or ones. In quantum mechanics, you have the fundamental particles which can be atoms, electrons or photons. In quantum [mechanics], you don’t have transistors, but you have differing, well-defined states that can be superimposed onto each other.”
Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Colgate University Enrique (Kiko) Galvez attended Nape’s lecture and commented on his unique work.
“Binary signals of light that travel these channels are limited to ones and zeros, but [Nape] discussed instead sending simultaneous beams that are unique and can therefore more effectively pass information,” Galvez said. “Imagine you reduce images to their basic building blocks. Nape sends information through unique modes that form a sort of expansive quantum alphabet. This increases the information per unit and thus creates a larger bandwidth.”
Nape and his fellow researchers’ studies have major implications for the two central functions of computers: communication and data processing. Current binary-coded messages are protected using various encryption messages that would take a hacker years to decode. Quantum computing utilizes more unique keys and is therefore more inherently difficult to decipher than basic binary.
“Because the unique modes are quantum mechanical, the no-cloning theory in quantum mechanics prohibits us from copying the encoded information,” Nape said. “It becomes harder and harder to clone quantum states if they are formed from a high dimensional coding basis. So, in other words, the more patterns that I have, the harder it is to directly copy the information.”
First-year Elyana Belete also attended the lecture and enjoyed Nape’s discussion.
“I was captivated by Dr. Nape and his findings in secure communication,” Belete said. “During his [talk], he introduced structured light, or photons, as information carriers and how these ‘information carriers’ can become more secure. […] Moreover, [Nape] explains that these patterns are very interesting because they can create a large and rich encoding alphabet that cannot be copied. In conclusion, the structured light can unlock many applications.”
In addition to greater security, photon manipulation has major implications in the field of computation.
“Imagine I was a particle, and I was trying to find my way through a maze,” Nape said. “If I want to find my way out of it, I’ll maybe turn left, turn right, try all possible parts until I eventually find the right [path]. That’s inefficient. If you have a bucket of water and pour it over the maze and the water spreads across the entire maze and then quickly finds its way out. [This] is what quantum computing tries to achieve […] by actually superimposing all the possible states of information that tell you something about the problem and then interfering with the possibilities until you find your solution.”
Nape and his fellow researchers’ investigations into the manipulation and utilization of unique photon sequences to improve data transfer security, efficiency and in data computation are shifting and expanding the imagination of the benefits of photon control. The research may well prove to be vital to the future of how our technological network operates and evolves.
