午夜福利1000集合

So, what do you do?

I work with photons, investigating their use as building blocks for quantum technologies. These could revolutionise our lives due to their promise for exponential speed-ups in computing and unprecedented security in communications. One of our between two continents using a satellite.

The triple-slit experiment sounds interesting, what is it?

The double-slit experiment shows that photons act both as waves and as particles, but it also suggests that a single photon passes through both slits at the same time, a phenomenon called superposition. We devised a way to test if that was really happening with the triple-slit experiment. What we found suggests that we need to update our view of superposition and further experiments could potentially even question quantum mechanics. It also paves the way for higher dimensional quantum information science.

What do you mean by higher dimensional quantum information science?

Up to now, the focus has been on quantum bits, or qubits, which have two base states. We are working on such as qutrits, which have three base states. Triple slits provide a natural system wherein we have three modes of a single photon, forming a three-dimensional qutrit.

What would be different about a quantum computer using qutrits?

While everyone is excited about having 50 qubits together, the same outcome can be achieved with a smaller number of qutrits. This may help us develop quantum computers with greater power.

How has your field of study changed in the time you have been working in it?

Wow, a lot. When I first set up my lab in India in 2012, there was scepticism galore, both about quantum technologies and fundamental studies in quantum mechanics. Now, fundamental tests are the bedrock for modern quantum technologies and quantum computing is the in thing.

Did you have to overcome any particular challenges to get where you are today?

I sometimes wish I belonged to a different gender and had more grey hair. That can help in being considered seriously as well as with recognition. Having said that, why should I change? Let the world change its viewpoint!

鈥淭he results of the triple-slit experiment could question quantum mechanics itself鈥�

If you could have a long conversation with any scientist, living or dead, who would it be?

One would be Marie Curie. I would ask her how she managed to be who she was and do what she did in spite of being a woman and living in a different era. I would also like to talk to Max Born. Our experiment was the first ever test of the Born rule, which predicts the probability of a photon鈥檚 location after passing through three slits. I would like to know his opinion on our experiment.

You did the triple-slit experiment in a cornfield. Why?

Well, students get hungry! On a more serious note, the cornfield provided a natural anechoic chamber 鈥� in other words, one devoid of reflections from metal etc. 鈥� which is necessary for the precision experiment we performed. We also required a considerable amount of space for the experiment. We found out that corn is a great absorber of microwaves, too.

What scientific development do you hope to see in your lifetime?

A quantum computer that is powerful enough to break existing encryption systems, so our research on secure quantum communications becomes useful in my lifetime.

How useful will your skills be after the apocalypse?

Aha, you are assuming that my skills will outlive the apocalypse! Surely, that proves the point regarding their perceived usefulness? However, if practical quantum computing indeed becomes a reality by then, maybe we will find a way to survive the apocalypse simply through some mind-boggling simulations, which are currently difficult to fathom. Who knows?