Researchers from Harvard University have created quantum switches that can be turned on and off using a single photon. The first-of-their-kind switches, built from single atoms, could one day be used in creating fiber optical networks that use quantum cryptography.Importantly, the system is highly scalable. The chips use nano-photonic technology to build optical circuits, which can then be connected to fiber optic cables. After placing the optical circuits in a vacuum chamber, researchers used precisely focused lasers to capture a single atom and cool it to a fraction above absolute zero temperature. They then move the atom to within a few hundred nanometers of the chip.
Source: EurekAlert
