Scientists Freeze Pulse of Light, for An

AP via Excite News ^ | Dec 10, 1:02 PM (ET) | RICK CALLAHAN

[leadpencil1]

Scientists Freeze Pulse of Light, for An

Physicists say they have brought light to a complete halt for a fraction of a second and then sent it on its way, an achievement that could someday help scientists develop powerful new computers.

The research differs from work published in 2001 that was hailed at the time as having brought light to standstill. In that work, light pulses were technically "stored" briefly when individual particles of light, or photons, were taken up by atoms in a gas.

Harvard University researchers have now topped that feat by truly holding light and its energy in its tracks - if only for a few hundred-thousandths of a second. "We have succeeded in holding a light pulse still without taking all the energy away from it," said Mikhail D. Lukin, a Harvard physicist.

Harnessing light particles to store and process data could aid the still distant goal of so-called quantum computers, as well as methods for communicating information over long distances without risk of eavesdropping.

The research may also have applications for improving conventional fiber-optic communications and data processing techniques that use light as an information carrier. Lukin said the present research is just another step toward efforts to control light, but said additional work is needed to determine if it can aid these applications.

The findings appear in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.

Stanford University physicist Stephen Harris said the new research is promising and represents an important scientific first.

Matthew Bigelow, a scientist at the University of Rochester involved in light research, called the new study "very clever" and something that may ultimately spur the development of superior light-based computers. "I think it's moving us in the right direction," he said.

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On the Net:

Nature: http://www.nature.com

Mikhail Lukin's laboratory: http://qoptics.physics.harvard.edu

[farmfriend]

BTTT

[Robe]

Is Warp drive just around the corner?

[My2Cents]

Physicists say they have brought light to a complete halt for a fraction of a second and then sent it on its way, an achievement that could someday help scientists develop powerful new computers.

Do we really need faster means of Freeping?

[Prof Engineer]

interesting

[RightWhale]

They can have an annual 'stop light in its tracks' award. Maybe some day they will find light's tracks.

[My2Cents]

"Fascinating."

[11th Earl of Mar]

Scientists Freeze Pulse of Light, for An

Very impressive.

But who is An?

[MrConfettiMan]

FYI

[Lurking Libertarian]

Science ping.

[leadpencil1]

Yea. I don't think I would try that in my basement, thats for sure.

[pankot]

Does this suggest we can stop time?

[Eris]

At last Captain Cold may yet defeat The Flash....

[MississippiMan]

A prolific inventor friend of mine is doing some way interesting things with light and data storage these days. Fascinating, really.

MM

[leadpencil1]

But who is An?

I though the same thing and was going to take it out of the title. Could it possibly be a measuerement for a unit of time, as in a pico second? Not sure either. Could also just be a truncated word.

[leadpencil1]

Does this suggest we can stop time?

If it does, I'd like to use it in the near future.

[LibWhacker]

Add raspberry and you'd have a raspberry light popsicle.

[Hatteras]

"If it does, I'd like to use it in the near future."

TO THE DeLOREAN, MARTY!!!

[<1/1,000,000th%]

"Well, it's all been done before really."

[Fester Chugabrew]

10 bucks says this puss-bucket is a Somali.