Scientists believe they have taken the first big step toward real-life teleportation, bringing Star Trek technology out of science fiction and into the physical world.
New research by an international team of scientists shows for the first time the ability to “transmit” images across a network without actually sending the image itself.
Experts used cutting-edge technology to transmit images using an advanced form of quantum communication, according to researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and the Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Spain.
Quantum communication uses quantum physics to send information, with information being sent primarily in ones and zeros.
But scientists have used quantum optics to expand this “alphabet” so they can send more complex pieces of information – such as a fingerprint or face.
Rather than physically transferring images, scientists say this new approach uses a “teleportation-inspired configuration.”
This means that information is not physically transmitted between communication parties as it is on a smartphone or broadcast television.
“Traditionally, two communicating parties actually send information from one to the other, even in the quantum world,” lead researcher Andrew Forbes, a professor at Wits University, said in a statement.
“Now, it's possible to transfer information so instantaneously that it's not actually transmitted via communication — 'Star Trek' technology is a reality.”
The major advance made by scientists was the use of a nonlinear optical detector.
This tool eliminated the need for additional photons and works to transmit any “pattern” – such as a fingerprint or face.
“This protocol has all the hallmarks of teleportation except for one essential element: it requires a bright laser beam to make the nonlinear detector effective, so the sender can know what is being sent, but does not need to know,” Forbes explained.
“In this sense, it is not strictly about teleportation, but it could happen in the future if the nonlinear detector can be made more efficient.”
One way this can be used today is in banking.
This technology means that a customer can send a fingerprint to the bank without actually transmitting the information, making it impossible for hackers to intercept.
Dr Adam Valles from ICFO (Barcelona), one of the project leaders at Wits University, added: “We hope that this experiment demonstrating the feasibility of the process will stimulate further progress in the nonlinear optics community by pushing the boundaries towards achieving full quantum implementation.”
“We have to be careful now, because this configuration can't prevent the cheating sender from saving better copies of the information to be teleported, which means we could end up with many copies of Mr. Spock in the Star Trek universe if that's the case.” “. What Scotty wanted.
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