Scientists TELEPORT two objects

**Ice** · 10-05-2006, 00:29

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science...eut/index.html

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Beaming people in Star Trek fashion is still in the realms of science fiction but physicists in Denmark have teleported information from light to matter bringing quantum communication and computing closer to reality.

Until now scientists have teleported similar objects such as light or single atoms over short distances from one spot to another in a split second.

But Professor Eugene Polzik and his team at the Niels Bohr Institute at Copenhagen University in Denmark have made a breakthrough by using both light and matter.

"It is one step further because for the first time it involves teleportation between light and matter, two different objects. One is the carrier of information and the other one is the storage medium," Polzik explained in an interview on Wednesday.

The experiment involved for the first time a macroscopic atomic object containing thousands of billions of atoms. They also teleported the information a distance of half a meter but believe it can be extended further.

"Teleportation between two single atoms had been done two years ago by two teams but this was done at a distance of a fraction of a millimeter," Polzik, of the Danish National Research Foundation Center for Quantum Optics, explained.

"Our method allows teleportation to be taken over longer distances because it involves light as the carrier of entanglement," he added.

Quantum entanglement involves entwining two or more particles without physical contact.

Although teleportation is associated with the science-fiction series Star Trek, no one is likely to be beamed anywhere soon.

But the achievement of Polzik's team, in collaboration with the theorist Ignacio Cirac of the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Garching, Germany, marks an advancement in the field of quantum information and computers, which could transmit and process information in a way that was impossible before.

"It is really about teleporting information from one site to another site. Quantum information is different from classical information in the sense that it cannot be measured. It has much higher information capacity and it cannot be eavesdropped on. The transmission of quantum information can be made unconditionally secure," said Polzik whose research is reported in the journal Nature.

Quantum computing requires manipulation of information contained in the quantum states, which include physical properties such as energy, motion and magnetic field, of the atoms.

"Creating entanglement is a very important step but there are two more steps at least to perform teleportation. We have succeeded in making all three steps -- that is entanglement, quantum measurement and quantum feedback," he added.

I can't wait when I'm 90 years old and I'll be the old geezer telling my grandkids "In my day, I had to walk to <insert place>."

**Zalmoxis** · 10-05-2006, 06:53

I don't know, could be a hoax...

**Mikeus Caesar** · 10-05-2006, 16:12

And before long they'll build a big underground facility in the Nevada desert, researching all sorts of things, including this, until it all goes horribly wrong.

A million points to whoever guesses where that possible plot line comes from...

**discovery1** · 10-05-2006, 16:23

Originally Posted by currywurry

And before long they'll build a big underground facility in the Nevada desert, researching all sorts of things, including this, until it all goes horribly wrong.

A million points to whoever guesses where that possible plot line comes from...

BZZZ!

Half-Life by Valve!

And no Ice there will never be a time when teleportation is a common way to move people around. Most of its applications would be in computing, and maybe transporting certain objects, although they probably wouldn't survive the trip.

**Samurai Waki** · 10-05-2006, 16:49

Humans aren't made of very...solid materials. I think once the process of teleporting a living organism became possible, the scientists would discover that their mice would explode.

**Ice** · 10-05-2006, 18:28

Originally Posted by discovery1

BZZZ!

Half-Life by Valve!

And no Ice there will never be a time when teleportation is a common way to move people around. Most of its applications would be in computing, and maybe transporting certain objects, although they probably wouldn't survive the trip.

Way to ruin my vote disco.

VOTE: DISCO

opps, wrong thread.

**Myrddraal** · 10-05-2006, 18:39

I'd like to see a more detailed definition of teleportation. This certainly isn't making something dissapear and reappear somewhere else. It sounds like particles being carried by light rays. I guess that should be possible if you consider the particle/wave dual nature of light; there might be forces of attraction between photons and other particles. I imagine thats what they mean by 'entanglement'.

So I think this means the propelling of very very small particles very fast. If I'm right, I'm not sure this is going to end up having any place in the computing or communications world, since fibre optic cables already transmit info at the speed of light. The only advantage this seemingly has is that you can use different particles to represent different information. However, it surely can't travel at the speed of light (a physical impossibility, nothing with mass can reach the speed of light) and I very much doubt any information would survive reflection, so making any kind of cable would be out of the question. Maybe it'll turn out to be usefull for satellite communication? Or maybe I'm wrong about the nature of this thing. I'd like to see a more scientific definition of it.

**Husar** · 10-05-2006, 20:39

"I ordered my new graphicscard online and 50 seconds later the new driver was installed and the card was ready to go..."

**discovery1** · 10-05-2006, 22:47

Originally Posted by Myrddraal

I'd like to see a more detailed definition of teleportation. This certainly isn't making something dissapear and reappear somewhere else. It sounds like particles being carried by light rays. I guess that should be possible if you consider the particle/wave dual nature of light; there might be forces of attraction between photons and other particles. I imagine thats what they mean by 'entanglement'.

So I think this means the propelling of very very small particles very fast. If I'm right, I'm not sure this is going to end up having any place in the computing or communications world, since fibre optic cables already transmit info at the speed of light. The only advantage this seemingly has is that you can use different particles to represent different information. However, it surely can't travel at the speed of light (a physical impossibility, nothing with mass can reach the speed of light) and I very much doubt any information would survive reflection, so making any kind of cable would be out of the question. Maybe it'll turn out to be usefull for satellite communication? Or maybe I'm wrong about the nature of this thing. I'd like to see a more scientific definition of it.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/teleportation.htm

http://www.research.ibm.com/quantuminfo/teleportation/

Entanglement

**Myrddraal** · 10-06-2006, 00:13

Interesting reads. The joot.com probably has the best explanation of entanglement, though it does start from a fairly basic stage, once it gets to the point of entanglement, it explains well.

The Bell-state Quantum Eraser experiment is fascinating. I'd really really love to see that experiment performed (or even perform it myself). Truely fascinating. Quantum mechanics boggles the mind enough even when you explain the simplest effects of it (such as the slit experiments with a single photon). This is incredible.

As I've progressed through my understanding of physics, I've always worked with mathematical models for real-life phenomena based on certain assumptions. As the physics has gotten more complicated, assumptions have been removed and replaced with closer approximations of reality and the theory has been refined. But it seems that in the Bell-state Quantum Eraser experiment, the result of the experiment reacts to the mathematical theory. We have two seperate photons, far enough apart (on the atomic scale) not to interact with each other, and yet if you use one of those photons to to deduce the path of the second, the results change.

It's almost too hard to believe. I've seen the effect of quantum mechanics using polarisation filters with slit experiments, but this is a whole step up. I'd really really like to see this experiment performed.

Wowee... So there is some form of link between the two photons which I have yet to understand (does anybody?)

**Marshal Murat** · 10-06-2006, 03:41

So thats how my pizza and Sprite disappeared!
Nothing like a cool refreshing Sprite (stealth marketin in progress)

**Ice** · 10-06-2006, 06:41

Originally Posted by Marshal Murat

So thats how my pizza and Sprite disappeared!
Nothing like a cool refreshing Sprite (stealth marketin in progress)

Not exactly. That's called eating, drinking, and disposing. A bit different from teleporting.

**Mikeus Caesar** · 10-06-2006, 15:54

On a serious point, imagine the many useful applications of teleporting in the real world - no more reaching up to high shelves. No more lifting food from the plate to your mouth.

It would be bliss.

**Avicenna** · 10-06-2006, 16:34

No more point of security systems, no more real safety from terrorists...

**Mikeus Caesar** · 10-06-2006, 20:11

Originally Posted by Tiberius

No more point of security systems, no more real safety from terrorists...

Well, actually, if my guesses about teleportation devices are right, not only would you need a machine to send terrorists/bombs/easter eggs, but you'd also need a device to recieve terrorists/bombs/easter eggs. And presumably to prevent people getting mixed up, you could only have two machines connected to each other, with a start location and an end location.

So unless the terrorists busted into a teleporter site to teleport to a secure place, they would soon throw up the alarm.

And anyway, just think what the hell would happen if there was a powercut as you were teleported? You'd be stuck in limbo forever, completely unretrievable.

**Csargo** · 10-06-2006, 20:26

Originally Posted by currywurry

On a serious point, imagine the many useful applications of teleporting in the real world - no more reaching up to high shelves. No more lifting food from the plate to your mouth.

It would be bliss.

Then we would all be fat and lazy.