Researchers from the Faculty of Physics at Vilnius University have developed a theoretical model that uses light to pre-program atoms without the need for external magnetic fields.
According to the authors, light first “programs” the atoms, and then the pre-prepared atomic environment alters the shape and polarization of complex laser beams.
At the core of the model are optical vortices: beams with a spiral wavefront structure, where the intensity drops to zero at the “core.” The size of the dark area determines the topological charge, which “is not limited and can take any positive or negative integer values.”
In practice, up to 10,000 different states can be achieved, allowing information to be encoded in qudits rather than in a two-state qubit system.
To control vector vortices, the researchers examined the interaction of a beam with an atomic gas, where the atoms have three energy levels. In the model, the prepared environment inherits the spatial pattern of the light: in some areas, atoms absorb radiation more strongly, while in others, they become almost transparent. This leads to feedback, where the atomic response reshapes the beam itself.
Instead of a simple ring structure, a petal pattern with several bright areas around the center emerges, altering the polarization structure. Previously, such control typically required powerful external magnetic fields and complex equipment.
Theoretically, this development paves the way for faster quantum processors, highly secure quantum communication networks, and ultra-precise optical sensors.
Earlier, on June 17, one of the sixteen national laboratories of the U.S. Department of Energy, Sandia National Laboratories, and quantum computer developer Quantinuum published a peer-reviewed article on the 98-qubit quantum computer Helios.
