First On-chip Nanoscale Optical Quantum Memory Developed

Smallest-yet optical quantum memory device is a storage medium for optical quantum networks with the potential to be scaled up for commercial use

For the first time, an international team led by engineers at Caltech has developed a computer chip with nanoscale optical quantum memory.

Quantum memory stores information in a similar fashion to the way traditional computer memory does, but on individual quantum particles—in this case, photons of light. This allows it to take advantage of the peculiar features of quantum mechanics (such as superposition, in which a quantum element can exist in two distinct states simultaneously) to store data more efficiently and securely.

"Such a device is an essential component for the future development of optical quantum networks that could be used to transmit quantum information," says Andrei Faraon (BS '04), assistant professor of applied physics and materials science in the Division of Engineering and Applied Science at Caltech, and the corresponding author of a paper describing the new chip.

The study appeared online ahead of publication by Science magazine on August 31...