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For the first time, scientists have been able to identify and manipulate photons particles of light which are interacting with each other.

The breakthrough has implications for quantum technologies including advances in medical imaging and quantum computing.

Photons can also be thought of as packets of light energy, or quanta of light. Over a century ago, physicists coming to grips with the weird world of quantum mechanics discovered wave-particle duality. Photons, electrons and other subatomic particles behaved not as either particles or waves, but exhibited characteristics of both forms.

Einstein first proposed in 1916 (published in 1917) that you could get atoms to emit photons by exciting the electrons in the atoms with energy. This type of photon scattering is seen every day now in lasers (LASER = Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) with large numbers of photons.

But this new research shows stimulated emission for single photons.

Now, scientists at the University of Sydney and Switzerlands University of Basel teamed up to observe stimulated emission for single photons for the first time.

The physicists were able to directly measure the time delay between one photon and a pair of photons scattering of a single quantum dot.

A quantum dot is a type of artificial atom produced using a nanometre-sized crystal structure. Quantum dots can convert light of one wavelength into another wavelength photon.

This opens the door to the manipulation of what we can call quantum light, says the University of Sydneys DrSahand Mahmoodian. This fundamental science opens the pathway for advances in quantum-enhanced measurement techniques and photonic quantum computing.

Understanding the nature of light not only captures the imagination, but underpins much of modern technology including mobile phones, global communications networks, computers, GPS and modern medical imaging.

Further advances in our knowledge of how light works promises to underpin new technological innovations.

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Light has already shown promise, through optical fibres, as a replacement for electrical networks for near distortion-free and ultra-fast transfer of information.

Its when we want light to interact that things get a little messy.

For example, interferometers are now common measuring tools that work by merging two or more light sources to create an interference pattern. Interferometers are used in medical imaging and in some of the most advanced experiments in the world such as LIGO at Caltech which was the first to detect gravitational waves in 2015.

Interferometers are limited in their sensitivity by quantum effects which make it difficult to tell the many photons in the device apart.

The device we built induced such strong interactions between photons that we were able to observe the difference between one photon interacting with it compared to two, says Dr Natasha Tomm from the University of Basel. We observed that one photon was delayed by a longer time compared to two photons. With this really strong photon-photon interaction, the two photons become entangled in the form of what is called a two-photon bound state.

Such quantum light devices, as opposed to interferometers which until now have used classical laser light, promise to have far higher resolution and sensitivity.

The researchers say this will be useful in fields such as medical imaging, and further research will be aimed at manipulating quantum light to produce fault-tolerant quantum computers.

This experiment is beautiful, not only because it validates a fundamental effect stimulated emission at its ultimate limit, but it also represents a huge technological step towards advanced applications, Tomm explains.

We can apply the same principles to develop more-efficient devices that give us photon bound states. This is very promising for applications in a wide range of areas: from biology to advanced manufacturing and quantum information processing.

The research is published in Nature Physics.

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Quantum light manipulation a step closer, with potential in medical imaging and quantum computing - Cosmos

T-Systems offerings range from one-day introductory sessions to business-case proofs-of-concept over several months

As part of the IBM Quantum Network, T-Systems to provide customers with cloud access to IBM quantum computers

Mar 23, 2023

T-Systems will now have the ability to provide its customers with cloud access to IBMs quantum systems, including multiple quantum computers powered by the 127-qubit IBM Eagle processor. Quantum computing aims to enable calculations that are beyond the means of even the worlds most advanced classical supercomputers. This announcement sees the Deutsche Telekom IT subsidiary embark on the path to providing access to this technology, as well as insights on how it can be applicable to its customers businesses. In addition, T-Systems will offer dedicated quantum know-how and training.

Customers will have access to T-Systems quantum services tailored to their needs, in a set of different customizable packages. These range from one-day introductory sessions, through to business case proofs-of-concept over several months. The use of IBM Quantum computational resources over the cloud including Qiskit Runtime, which allows for the optimization and efficient execution of workloads on quantum systems at scale together with T-Systems services, will lower the barrier to quantum computing. This will allow T-Systems to develop and test customers use-cases and prepare them for a future with quantum computing. T-Systems aims to host its own quantum infrastructure in the future, assisted by IBM.

Accelerating progress towards tomorrows solutions

Quantum computing is a rapidly emerging technology that harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that todays most powerful supercomputers cannot practically solve.

By integrating quantum computing into their portfolio, T-Systems aims to further leverage their leadership position in advisory, cloud services and digital solutions beyond the local markets in key focus industries. The ultimate goal is to provide clients with a seamless experience, incorporated into their cloud landscape, as they look to uncover the potential of quantum computing for their businesses.

Quantum computing will be central to tomorrows IT landscape. We are combining quantum and classical computing in a seamless and scalable customer experience. states Adel Al-Saleh, Deutsche Telekom board member and Chief Executive of T-Systems. Taking these first decisive steps will lower the access barrier to quantum computing. IBM has an established track record in quantum computing leadership. The company offers the worlds largest fleet of quantum computers, accessible over the cloud. Al-Saleh continues: In IBM, we have a trusted partner to deliver this future technology. It is a perfect match for our industry focus and expertise.

Organizations around the world are beginning to explore how quantum computing will impact their industry and business. By partnering with T-Systems as a cloud provider, we will be able to offer access to quantum technology to an even broader ecosystem. Our team at IBM is excited to support T-Systems and their customers exploration of, and aspirations for quantum applications for their business operations, says Scott Crowder, Vice President, IBM Quantum Adoption and Business Development.

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About IBM

IBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider, helping clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,800 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transforIBM is a leading global hybrid cloud and AI, and business services provider, helping clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Nearly 3,800 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently, and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and business services deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's legendary commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity, and service. For more information, visit https://www.ibm.com/quantum

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T-Systems to Offer Quantum Computing Expertise and Access to ... - IBM Newsroom

At the start of March, the venture capital arms of two blue chip defense hardware companies revealed a pair of investments in startup technology companies as part of the constant search for "what's next."

Roughly two weeks on from that, the venture organizations of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies have a new pair of investments in emerging firms to talk about.

Here are their latest finds announced Wednesday.

Lockheed Martin Ventures

For this team of the world's largest defense company, identifying creations of promise in power and propulsion is a top priority as they look to bring those technologies into the military environment.

REGENT, a maker of electric-powered sea vehicles, represents the newest investment of Lockheed Martin Ventures and follows on from the backing of electric motor manufacturer H3X Technologies announced at the beginning of March. Terms of the investment in REGENTwhich stands forRegional Electric Ground Effect Nautical Transportwere not disclosed.

As REGENT and Lockheed see things: The Defense Department wants to incorporate high-speed, low-cost, low-signature, runway-independent mobility into maritime vehicles. REGENT designs its seagliders to travel at airplane-like speeds for up to 180 miles between destinations on all-electric, zero-emission power.

The company was founded in late 2020 and touts having secured $7.9 billion in orders since then from major airlines and leading ferry operators. REGENT plans to use Lockheed's investment for adapting the seagliders for use in defense missions such as logistics resupply, cargo transport, and search and rescue.

We believe that REGENT seagliders can bring tailored solutions to the future battlespace," Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures, said in a release. This investment reflects our commitment to innovating technologies that have the potential to transform the way we adapt to our customers needs and support mission success."

"We see defense strategy evolving toward an island-hopping force featuring agile, affordable, and distributed craft, REGENT's co-founder and chief executive Billy Thalheimer added. This investment is a strong signal that seagliders can fill this immediate need in the high-priority missions faced by our Department of Defense."

RTX Ventures

This division of Raytheon Technologies is one of several investors that are committing capital to Strangeworks, a five-year-old company focused on making quantum computing a reality.

Strangeworks fetched $24 million in a Series A funding led by Hitachi's venture capital arm, with RTX Ventures and IBM lined up as new investors. Lightspeed Venture Partners, Great Point Ventures and Ecliptic Capital made follow-on investments into a company they helped stand up with initial seed money.

The idea behind quantum is to increase computing power by encoding information through chains of entangled subatomic particles.

Traditional computers encode information through bits that are represented as either a 1 or 0. But quantum bits, or qubits, work to superimpose that bit value to be both a 1 and 0 at the same time and thus generating more computing power.

Strangeworks secured this funding round for its five-year plan to further develop the quantum computing capability and incorporate artificial intelligence into those new products.

"We believe Strangeworks' platform and their ability to make quantum and high-performance computing more accessible can support a wide range of applications in the aerospace, defense, and commercial sectors," Dan Ateya, president and managing director of RTX Ventures, said in a release.

"Raising the Series A from these exceptional investors in this challenging economic climate sends a clear message to the market on where enterprise companies are placing their bets in the race to create quantum value," Strangeworks' founder and CEO William Hurley added.

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Quantum computing and seagliders mark the week's defense ... - Washington Technology

After Jeremy Hunts Budget announcement of a 10-year programme to invest 2.5bn in quantum computing to keep the country at the forefront of a global industry, The Inclusion Initiative at LSE released a briefing which describes how firms can make sure that they embrace both Diversity & Inclusion for the betterment of their business.

The quantum sector is at the forefront of technology, dealing with some of the worlds most pressing issues, such as energy provision and supply chain logistics. It relies on its workforce to be innovative and creative. However, diversity is lacking: only 1 in 54 applicants for quantum roles are female, while 80% of quantum companies do not have a senior female figure, according to search firm Quantum Futures.

The City Quantum Summit briefing, by Cecily Josten, Dr Grace Lordan and Karina Robinson, calls for the importance of debiasing search and hiring, encouraging task-based assessments to overcome affinity-based hiring from over-relying on interviews. It also asks that Diversity & Inclusion is treated like any other major business priority. Finally, the briefing states that the quantum sector needs to invest in upskilling leaders in inclusive leadership, so that every leader ensures that all colleagues get equal opportunities, visibility and voice.

Karina Robinson, Founder of The City Quantum Summit and Senior Advisor to Multiverse Computing, said: The future of inclusion in quantum comes down to collaboration measuring success, measuring failure and sharing that with other firms to learn from each other. Without that, we are likely to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Dr Grace Lordan, Director of the Inclusion Initiative and author of Think Big, said: Quantum computing will play a big role in shaping our world in the future. It is important that the world is shaped by people with different perspectives and backgrounds. Women are few and far between in the sector right now: we need to change this.

Cecily Josten, TII Researcher, said: The quantum industry is missing out on talent, innovation and productivity without diverse hiring and being inclusive employers.

whurley, Founder of Strangeworks, said: Providing equal access and equal opportunities will make the difference between humanitys future being diverse or dystopian.

Denise Ruffner, President of DiviQ: This study is a great summary of the problems and solutions to bring diversity into the quantum industry.

Denise Wilson OBE, CEO at FTSE Women Leaders Review, said: D&I must be owned and held accountable at Board level.

This briefing paves the way for The Inclusion Initiatives future research focus on Diversity & Inclusion in a quantum sector forecast to be worth up to $10 billion by 2027.

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More diversity and inclusion needed in quantum computing - The London School of Economics and Political Science

"We observed that one photon was delayed by a longer time compared to two photons. With this really strong photon-photon interaction, the two photons become entangled in the form of what is called a two-photon bound state."

By demonstrating the ability to identify and manipulate photon-bound states, the researchers have taken a vital first step toward harnessing quantum light for practical use.

Dr. Mahmoodian's future research will focus on applying this approach to generate states of light useful for fault-tolerant quantum computing, which is already being pursued by multimillion-dollar companies such as PsiQuantum and Xanadu.

The team believes the same principles can be applied to develop more efficient devices that produce photon-bound states, promising applications in various areas such as biology, advanced manufacturing, and quantum information processing.

The research collaboration involved the University of Sydney, the University of Basel, Leibniz University Hannover, and Ruhr University Bochum.

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Quantum light manipulation breakthrough could lead to advances in ... - Interesting Engineering