Holograms with a twist: Entangling light and information

Quantum holograms using polarized light and metasurfaces enable precise control over entangled holographic information, advancing practical applications in quantum communication and anticounterfeiting technologies

Quantum entanglement is a fundamental phenomenon in nature and one of the most intriguing aspects of quantum mechanics. It describes a correlation between two particles, such that measuring the properties of one instantly reveals those of the other, no matter how far apart they are. This unique property has been harnessed in applications such as quantum computing and quantum communication.

A common method for generating entanglement is through a nonlinear crystal, which produces photon pairs with entangled polarizations via spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC)...

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Entwined dwarf stars reveal their location thanks to repeated radio bursts

Artist's impression of a red dwarf (left) and a white dwarf orbiting each other, emitting radio pulses.   Credit: Daniëlle Futselaar/artsource.nl

We now know it isn’t just neutron stars that emit such pulses. A white dwarf and a red dwarf star have been discovered closely orbiting each other emitting radio pulses every two hours. Their findings means we know it isn’t just neutron stars that emit such pulses, but these are spaced unusually far apart.

An international team of astronomers led by Dr Iris de Ruiter, now at the University of Sydney, has shown that a white dwarf and a red dwarf star orbiting each other every two hours are emitting radio pulses.

Thanks to follow-up observations using optical and x-ray telescopes, the researchers were able to determine the origin of these pulses with certainty. The findings explain the source of such radio emissions found across the Milky Way galaxy for the first time.

The resu...

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Ultra-broadband photonic chip boosts optical signals to reshape high-speed data transmission

Ultra-broadband photonic chip boosts optical signals
A focus-stacked macro photograph of a fabricated gallium phosphide photonic chip featuring multiple spiral waveguides and other test structures. The chip width is just 0.55 cm across. Due to the high Kerr nonlinearity of gallium phosphide, its high refractive index, and its negligible two-photon absorption, extremely efficient optical parametric amplification and frequency conversion over S, C, and L optical communication bands are achieved using this chip. Credit: Nikolai Kuznetsov (EPFL).

Modern communication networks rely on optical signals to transfer vast amounts of data. But just like a weak radio signal, these optical signals need to be amplified to travel long distances without losing information.

The most common amplifiers, erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs), have served...

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NASA continues BioNutrients space-fermented food research

NASA astronaut and Expedition 72 Commander Suni Williams displays a set of BioNutrients production packs during an experiment aboard the International Space Station. The experiment uses engineered yeast to produce nutrients and vitamins to support future astronaut health.
NASA

NASA’s BioNutrients series of experiments is testing ways to use microorganisms to make nutrients that will be needed for human health during future long-duration deep space exploration missions.

Some vital nutrients lack the shelf-life needed to span multi-year human missions, such as a mission to Mars, and may need to be produced in space to support astronaut health. To meet this need, the BioNutrients project uses a biomanufacturing approach similar to making familiar fermented foods, such as yogurt...

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