Scientists Freeze Pulse Of Light 343
Smitty825 writes "After slowing down light to slow speeds, scientists at Harvard University have been able to stop light for a very brief period of time without destroying its energy. The article explains how it is different from this previous light-stopping science story - this will hopefully help the development of quantum computers and ways to communicate over long distances without being eavesdropped on."
Okay... (Score:3, Insightful)
Does the laziness of slashdot "editors" truly know no bounds? If you're not interested in doing the work, why not find people who are?
Color == frequency (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:^^Very Interesting, should get modded up^^ (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Apparently, there is energy loss (Score:5, Insightful)
Is brief really very long time for the Photon? (Score:5, Insightful)
I am just building my reasoning backwards. To understand what happens to the Photon when it stops, let's first see what happens to the photon when it moves at - well - the speed of light.
From the quickest reference I could dig thru [wired.com] http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/6.07/es_warp.ht ml?pg=3&topic=
So, the faster the photon moves the slower the clocks would appear to move. Then, I guess, the slower the Photon moves the faster the clock would appear to move. And when the photon STOPS, the clock must be moving INSANELY FAST. So how could it be a very brief period of time ? .. I think it is a very very very long period of time.
Guess, it all depends on which perspective you are looking at, and how you are measuring time ...
Re:Apparently, there is energy loss (Score:2, Insightful)
Yes, but that's not how it would read. Destroying light is no major accomplishment at all, even if it means it is normally converted into heat. If light were not destroyed in this sense all the time, you would only need to flash on the lights in your room and shut the door, because the same light would continue to illuminate the room.
It's really the same concept as destroying lighter fluid by burning it, except light has a curious tendancy to burn itself out.
Who turned out the lights! (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Harvest time (Score:2, Insightful)
We aleady do harvest light (or at least part of the energy of light) for later use anyway - solar cells connected to batteries (as used on satellites, ISS, etc). I don't think storing the light and then converting to required power is going to be that much more effcient than converting to power and storing in batteries.
Generating power in space and then "transmitting" back with lasers isn't a new idea, but does have certain drawbacks if anything goes wrong.
Probably safer to use a Dyson shell [nada.kth.se]... lots more power available on one of those. Ringworlds just don't cut it.
Re:Stopped photons (Score:2, Insightful)
Photons are quanta of energy; they are quite incapable of being split or combined. Consult your local library for books on quantam physics...