In a groundbreaking scientific achievement, researchers have figured out a way to achieve the unthinkable: quantum teleportation. While the name may suggest that humans could be teleported through the technology, it is far from the real-life implication of the technology. Quantum teleportation allows the transfer of information instantly and over any distance without needing any future technology. Led by Prem Kumar from Northwestern University, Illinois, US, scientists demonstrated quantum teleportation over standard fibre optic cable that already carries everyday internet traffic, according to a report in ScieneAlert.

In simple terms, quantum teleportation involves sending information from one place to another using something called “quantum entanglement”. Think of entanglement like an invisible twin connection where two particles, even if miles apart, are linked in a way that what happens to one instantly affects the other. Unlike sending a physical object, you are sending the state or condition of a particle.

“This is incredibly exciting because nobody thought it was possible. Our work shows a path towards next-generation quantum and classical networks sharing a unified fibre optic infrastructure. Basically, it opens the door to pushing quantum communications to the next level,” said Mr Kumar.

The study involved the careful management of light scattering to ensure that the delicate quantum information, carried by photons, could survive amidst the swarm of internet data. To achieve the desired result, the scientists utilised a specific wavelength for the quantum signal and implemented filters to minimise interference from other data streams.

“We carefully studied how light is scattered and placed our photons at a judicial point where that scattering mechanism is minimised. We found we could perform quantum communication without interference from the classical channels that are simultaneously present,” added Mr Kumar.

Also Read | Google’s Latest Breakthrough A Major Leap In Quantum Computing

The result was a successful teleportation of a quantum state of light, which represents a significant leap towards integrating quantum communication with existing internet infrastructure. Notably, this was not just a simulation; it was done in real-world conditions, showcasing the practical viability of quantum communication alongside traditional data transmission.

One of the biggest appeals of quantum teleportation is that it can occur almost as fast as light travels. The development is a big step towards quantum internet that could revolutionise traditional computing. From secure encryption methods to enhanced sensing capabilities to potentially even connecting quantum computers on a global scale, without needing specialised infrastructure — the potential for the technology remains immense.

While the gemologist may be concerned with the cut, clarity, colour and karats of diamonds, quantum researchers are interested in their ‘defects.’ Image for representation
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Customs Department’s decision on who can and cannot import diamonds is taking some of the lustre off the National Quantum Mission (NQM), a ₹6,000-crore initiative, which may allow India take the lead in the emerging field of quantum technologies.

Quantum technology is a broad term, much like ‘Artificial Intelligence,’ or ‘nano-technology’, and applicable to multiple avenues of research. It hinges on being able to exploit the ‘quantum-mechanical’ properties of matter inside the atom and develop entirely new kinds of computers, sensors and encryption systems that – proponents say – will make our existing devices primitive in comparison.

However, this also means that much knowledge on harnessing quantum technology is still being unearthed and requires highly trained scientists conducting intricate experiments on many things, including diamonds.

While the gemologist may be concerned with the cut, clarity, colour and karats of diamonds, quantum researchers are interested in their ‘defects.’ It is the unique arrangement of carbon atoms in a diamond which gives it the properties of hardness, electrical conductivity and manipulation of light. However, the atomic structure of some diamonds sometimes have two missing carbon atoms. They are substituted by a nitrogen atom as well as a ‘hole’ or what is called a ‘nitrogen-vacancy’ centre.

These “centres’ are very sensitive to the slightest variations in magnetic fields and thereby open vistas of investigation. An electron at such a centre can be individually tweaked and made to behave like a qubit. Qubits –analogous to the bits and bytes of classical computers – are the logic states of quantum computers and in theory allow calculations, beyond the capacity of existing supercomputers, to be done in a trice.

Grown with ‘defects’

Researchers can also use lasers at room temperatures to manipulate these centres – a property that is not very common in other elements and materials. However, unlike the diamonds in jewellery shops, scientists prefer their diamonds grown in a lab and customised with ‘defects’ of their choice.

In the Union Budget 2023, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a scheme to promote research and development of lab-grown diamonds in India. Indistinguishable from natural diamonds, they are said to be environmentally and ethically more benign. Much like culturing microbes, lab-diamonds are grown after being ‘seeded’ with natural diamonds. India, despite being a formidable industry in cutting and polishing diamonds, has only just begun manufacturing diamonds in a few places. Indian diamantaires aren’t yet equipped to make diamonds with quantum-research-ready ‘defects.’ And this is a problem for scientists.

“The diamonds with the appropriate defects have to be imported from Europe or the United States. However, my institution – being a research facility – cannot import these diamonds as we are not classified as gemologists according to India’s customs laws. While there are import and export companies in India who are licensed to import diamonds, this increases costs by 20% to 30%. The result is that much of my research on quantum sensing (requiring these diamonds) have stopped,” a quantum-researcher from one of the Indian Institutes of Technology, who did not wish to be named, told The Hindu. “We’ve at the institutional level raised this with the Customs Department and the Ministry of Science and Technology for years but nothing has happened.”

A survey-report last week by Bengaluru-based consultancy, Itihaasa, on the state of quantum-technology research in India, anonymously interviewed multiple senior scientists from various institutions – the IITs, the Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER). One of the points mentioned in the report was “…a disconnect between the scientific departments of the government and the Customs Department on the difference between artificial diamonds for R&D and for jewellery. It often takes months to release these artificial diamonds and requires multiple back and forth between the Principal Investigators, Department of Science and Technology, and Customs (Department).”

At the launch of this report in Delhi, Dr. Ajay Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, and Dr. Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, DST, said that the matter was “being looked into.”

The Ministry of Science and Technology has announced plans to make quantum computers of 50 to 1,000 qubits by the end of the decade. However, quantum computers globally are far from being useful devices because maintaining electrons – like in the ‘defect diamonds’ – in their qubit like states is a daunting challenge.