Computing could be made much faster and more secure in future, thanks to a breakthrough in nanotechnology research.
Silicon photonic crystals can be used to slow down light, researchers from the University of Sydney, Macquarie University, working with University of Bristol and the University of St Andrews (UK), and the Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France have found.
Slowing light down using silicon photonic crystals generated individual pairs of photons in the smallest device ever, the scientists discovered. At 100 times smaller than current technology, the devices are so small that hundreds could fit into a single chip. The breakthrough could lead to faster computing and hard-to-hack data, the researchers said.
“Current systems use classical light to carry information, which hackers can easily tap into and use to their advantage. But you cannot copy the information encoded in quantum states without being noticed by the system,” said Macquarie University’s Associate Professor Michael Steel, who also chief investigator at the collaborative research group that made the discovery, the Centre of Excellence for Ultrahigh Bandwidth Devices for Optical Systems.
“Single photon devices will ensure communication and information systems are secure from hackers, guaranteeing peace of mind for the users.”
Read more at University of Sydney