Quantum computing: Scientists stop light in a cloud of atoms

Now researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) have done something similar by using a cloud of very cold atoms to stop light moving.

Key points

Scientists shined infrared light into an ultra-cold cloud of atoms They then observed the photons trapped in the atom cloud Quantum computing using fibre optic systems relies on single photons to stop for long enough to talk to each other

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> Now researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) have done something similar by using a cloud of very cold atoms to stop light moving.

Didn’t someone beat them to it? In 2001, physicists for the first time managed to stop light in a vapor of rubidium gas.

in 2013 Light was stopped in a crystal

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/162289-light-stopped-completely-for-a-minute-inside-a-crystal-the-basis-of-quantum-memory

in 2013 Light was stopped in a crystal

in 2003 light was stopped by lasers

http://www.geek.com/news/physicists-succeed-in-stopping-light-completely-551694/

Physicists succeed in stopping light completely

This latest experiment shows that light has been stopped in a cloud of atoms.