【科学种子科技英语】量子光学硬盘大突破

【双语阅读】

Scientists developing a prototype optical quantum hard drive have improved storage time by a factor of over 100. The team's record storage time of six hours is a major step towards a secure worldwide data encryption network based on quantum information which could be used for banking transactions and personal emails.

科学家正在开发一种光学量子硬盘，其存储时间已经提高超过100倍。该研究小组的最高存储时间记录为6个小时，对基于量子信息的全球数据安全加密网络来说是重要一步，量子信息可用于银行交易和个人电子邮件。

"We believe it will soon be possible to distribute quantum information between any two points on the globe," said lead author Manjin Zhong, from the Research School of Physics and Engineering (RSPE) at The Australian National University (ANU).

“我们相信很快就能在地球上任意两点之间的布散量子信息”该论文的第一作者，澳大利亚国立大学（ANU）研究学院物理与工程（RSPE）的Manjin Zhong如是说。

"Quantum states are very fragile and normally collapse in milliseconds. Our long storage times have the potential to revolutionise the transmission of quantum information."

“量子状态很脆弱，这种状态通常会在毫秒范围内崩解。更长的储存时间将有可能彻底改变量子信息的传输。”

Quantum information promises unbreakable encryption because quantum particles such as photons of light can be created in a way that intrinsically links them. Interactions with either of these entangled particles affect the other, no matter how far they are separated.

量子信息有希望实现不可破解的加密方式，因为量子颗粒，例如光的光子由自身结构连接这种方式产生。这些粒子不论距离多远都会受到彼此的纠缠及影响。

The team of physicists at ANU and the University of Otago stored quantum information in atoms of the rare earth element europium embedded in a crystal.

澳大利亚国立大学（ANU）和奥塔戈大学的物理学家们将量子信息存储在嵌在晶体中的稀土元素铕原子里。

Their solid-state technique is a promising alternative to using laser beams in optical fibres, an approach which is currently used to create quantum networks around 100 kilometres long.

这种固态技术很有前途，它能够替代光纤中的激光束，此前用这种方法制造约100千米量子网络。

"Our storage times are now so long that it means people need to rethink what is the best way to distribute quantum data," Ms Zhong said.

“现在的存储时间相当长，这意味着人们需要重新思考什么才是分配量子数据的最佳方式。”Zhong女士说。

"Even transporting our crystals at pedestrian speeds we have less loss than laser systems for a given distance."

“若晶体以人行走的速度传播，在既定距离内的损耗会比激光系统少。”

"We can now imagine storing entangled light in separate crystals and then transporting them to different parts of the network thousands of kilometres apart. So, we are thinking of our crystals as portable optical hard drives for quantum entanglement."

“我们现在就可以绘制蓝图，将纠缠光存储在不同的晶体里，然后将它们运送到网络中相距数千公里的不同部分里。所以我们正在考虑将晶体作为量子纠缠的便携式光学硬盘”。

After writing a quantum state onto the nuclear spin of the europium using laser light, the team subjected the crystal to a combination of a fixed and oscillating magnetic fields to preserve the fragile quantum information.

在将量子状态通过激光写入铕的核自旋后，研究团队将晶体放入了固定的振荡磁场组中，用以保护脆弱的量子信息。

"The two fields isolate the europium spins and prevent the quantum information leaking away," said Dr Jevon Longdell of the University of Otago.

“这两个场将铕自旋隔离起来，阻止了量子信息泄露。”奥塔戈大学的Jeyon Longdell博士说。

The ANU group is also excited about the fundamental tests of quantum mechanics that a quantum optical hard drive will enable.

澳大利亚国立大学的研究团队也同样对量子机理的重大测试感到兴奋，这种机理使得量子光学硬盘成为可能。

"We have never before had the possibility to explore quantum entanglement over such long distances," said Associate Professor Matthew Sellars, leader of the research team.

“此前我们从未有可能探究在如此长距离情况下的量子纠缠，”该研究小组的负责人副教授马修•塞拉斯说。

"We should always be looking to test whether our theories match up with reality. Maybe in this new regime our theory of quantum mechanics breaks."

“我们应该始终以理论是否能够匹配现实为标准。也许在这种新体制下我们的量子机理理论会失效。

【科技词汇】

Quantum 量子

Optical 光学

Encryption 加密

Europium 铀

Nuclear 核

Fragile 脆弱

Photon 光子

Particle 粒子

Alternative 另类

Quantum entanglement 量子纠缠

Regime 体制

【互动回答】