For the first time, scientists have manipulated quantum light by identifying and effecting single photons (aka light particles) in an experiment that draws from Albert Einstein’s 1916 theory of stimulated emission. The theory explains how photo emissions are triggered by excited electrons or molecules, creating an energy conversion process. The researchers, from the University of Sydney and the University of Basel, directed a single photon as well as a pair of bonded photons at a quantum dot (an artificially created atom) and measured the direct time delay between the two. “We observed that one photon was delayed by a longer time compared to two photons,” says University of Babel’s Natasha Tomm who helped lead the study. “With this really strong photon-photon interaction, the two photons become entangled in the form of what is called a two-photon bound state.” The breakthrough further informs how light interacts with matter, holding promise for future innovative technology, advancements in quantum computing and applications in medicine. Learn more at Popular Mechanics.
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