Slashdot Mirror
Stopping Light
Jon Abbott writes "NASA is reporting that physicists at Harvard University have managed to stop light altogether. The implications of this discovery are rather staggering -- quantum encryption and quantum computers might be just around the corner! " Well, I don't think this will mean any immediate changes - but it is a significant step.
The most recent edition of Discover has an article on quantum encryption using single photons.
Basically they shoot a laser through a heavy filter, emitting only one photon. The Sender and Receiver exchange pads including what group of spins(Horizontal/Vertical, or the diag's) on each photon contains information. An Evesdropper has a 50% chance of guessing which one, and retransmiting that. The article state that on average 25% of the photons would be incorrect if your conversation was being intercepted due to wrong guesses by the snooper.
Pretty Neat - but they say it'll be at least 10 years for something that consumers can plug into a wall...
I have long thought , and am probably no the only one, that a light storage device could make for an awesome weapon.
Consider a Sphere, 2 way mirrored, on the inside, you put light in, what happens ? It bounces around, indefinatley , well as indefinatley as the quality of your reflective surface.
Now think of charging this for say months wit a high powered laser.
Only to brop and break the sphere. releasing ALL the stored light at once.
Now before you go on ranting how the reflective surface, photons etc. I know but I have wondered if there isnt a way to overcome this, this group may just have the answer.
"Launch Photon Torpedoes" may not be as far off as we think........
Sig went tro...aahemmm.....fishing........
Their mothers TOLD them that if they kept it up, they'd go blind? Did they listen? Nooo...
["Marge, I agree with you - in theory. In theory, communism works. In theory." - Homer]
Now I can dance around naked and sacrifice goats whenever I want!