Researchers from the University of Copenhagen's Niels Bohr Institute have developed a new method that allows them to trap atoms along an ultra-thin glass fiber, furthering the development of quantum computer networks.

"We have an ultra-thin glass fiber with a diameter of half a micrometer." said Jürgen Appel, an associate professor for the Quantop research group at the institute.

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"Along this glass fiber we capture cesium atoms. They are cooled down to 100 micro Kelvin using a laser -- this is almost absolute zero, which is equivalent to minus 273 degrees Celsius. This system acts like a trap that holds the atoms on the side of the glass fiber,"

Researchers carried out this experiment in the quantum optics laboratory located in the basement of the institute. This laboratory is located far away from the road to avoid vibrations emanating from traffic.

"We have developed a method where we can measure the number of atoms. We send two laser beams with different frequencies through the glass fiber. If there were no atoms on the fiber, the speed of light would be the same for both light beams." Appel added.

"However, the atoms affect the two frequencies differently and by measuring the difference in the speed of light for the two light beams on each side of the atoms' absorption lines, you can measure the number of atoms along the fiber. We have shown that we can hold 2,500 atoms with an uncertainty of just eight atoms,"

Appel said the method could be used for entangled states of atoms along the glass fiber. The entangled system can be used to develop future quantum computer networks.

TagsUniversity of Copenhagen, Niels Bohr Institute, Quantum Computer Networks, Denmark, Danish Researchers, Ulta-thin Glass Fiber, Quantum Optics Laboratory, Atoms