back to article Boffins' quantum USB stick trumps fibre optic reliability

The lifetime of quantum memories – a crucial component of practical quantum computing and communications – is typically less than a second. Now, work led by the Australian National University has turned up quantum states that last as long as six hours. That “coherence time” – how long an entangled state can be preserved – is …

  1. Arnold Lieberman
    Coat

    Photographs of Boffins

    Is there some unwritten rule that says people in white coats should always be lit as if on the set of a Frankenstein movie?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Photographs of Boffins

      Made me think of Diana Eng.

      I like her because she won't fit cleanly in any of my people boxes, geek, fashion, radio ham, girl, etc.

      Being photographed in Frankenstein lighting while arranging entanglement seems quite fitting.

  2. tony2heads

    Transport aircraft

    Could ship this across oceans in 6hrs.

    Intercontinental Entanglement is possible!

    1. AdamT

      Re: Transport aircraft

      Starting to sound a bit like some of the ideas in Charles Stross' Singularity Sky/Iron Sunrise series, if I recall correctly. I think the idea was that you could have faster than light communiciation (via entangled particles) but only once a set of pre-entangled particles had been delivered to you at (sub)light speed. Or something like that.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    EU Fruit

    Is it just me that keeps reading Euro Plums ?

  4. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

    I had a...

    ...Quantum hard drive years ago and it retained the data at room temp. even with no power for years.

    All hail Bigfoot and Fireball!!

    1. Wzrd1 Silver badge

      Re: I had a...

      ...Quantum hard drive years ago and it only stored Schrödinger's data.

  5. Spacedinvader

    "Think of it as a USB key for entanglement – albeit one that needs a 2 Kelvin environment to function."

    that in a trouser pocket is going to result in quite the cold nut sack tbh...

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon