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Hamamatsu Corp. - Earth Innovations LB 2/24

Single-Photon Server Created From an Atom

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GARCHING, Germany, March 19, 2007 -- Physicists have succeeded in turning a rubidium atom into a single-photon server, which could allow scientists to generate high-quality photons with consistent energy levels for use in quantum computing. Finding photons is easy: Every time you switch on a light bulb, 10 to the power of 15 (a million times a billion) visible photons, the elementary particles of light, are illuminating the room in every second. But if you just want one, and not more than one, photon every time you press the switch, you have to work a little harder.A single atom trapped in a cavity generates a single photon...Read full article

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    Published: March 2007
    Glossary
    detector
    1. A device designed to convert the energy of incident radiation into another form for the determination of the presence of the radiation. The device may function by electrical, photographic or visual means. 2. A device that provides an electric output that is a useful measure of the radiation that is incident on the device.
    photon
    A quantum of electromagnetic energy of a single mode; i.e., a single wavelength, direction and polarization. As a unit of energy, each photon equals hn, h being Planck's constant and n, the frequency of the propagating electromagnetic wave. The momentum of the photon in the direction of propagation is hn/c, c being the speed of light.
    photonics
    The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
    quantum
    The term quantum refers to the fundamental unit or discrete amount of a physical quantity involved in interactions at the atomic and subatomic scales. It originates from quantum theory, a branch of physics that emerged in the early 20th century to explain phenomena observed on very small scales, where classical physics fails to provide accurate explanations. In the context of quantum theory, several key concepts are associated with the term quantum: Quantum mechanics: This is the branch of...
    atomCommunicationsdetectorGerhard Rempelight bulbmagneto-opticalMax Planck Institute of Quantum OpticsmechanicsMPQNews & Featuresphotonphotonicsquantumquantum computersrubidiumSensors & Detectorssingle-photonsingle-photon serverLasers

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