Photons do not have mass and travel at the speed of light. However, the scientists put photons in a medium of cold rubidium gas and then discovered that two photons stick together in super-chilled gas.
"It`s not a molecule per se, but you can imagine it as having a similar kind of structure," said NIST scientist Alexey Gorshkov. "We`re learning how to build complex states of light that, in turn, can be built into more complex objects."
Furthermore, the technology has potential benefits because it can create a new basis for computer technology and result in substantial energy savings.
In terms of computer technology, binding and entangling photons can replace electronic switches as information processors in computers.
The photons can also reduce energy losses by transporting and processing data, including phone messages and other data, which now travel through fiber optic cables.
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