Researchers at Princeton University are creating diamonds that, they think, will be able to store and transmit micro-messages called “qubits.”
In a press release, they explain that their man-made diamonds could be used to build the new super-secure — and super-smart — internet of the future, called the quantum internet.
The science is complex, but essentially, researchers have been looking for a better way to store and send qubits, which are typically transmitted through particles of light, or photons. (Think fiber optic networks.) But this method only works for short distances before the information becomes distorted.
Scientists think crystals, like diamonds, might not distort the information so much. They’re using the diamond’s flaws — streaks of discoloration and chemical impurity in the otherwise pure-carbon stone — as little messenger bags to carry and transmit qubits.
If nothing else, it’s a case for buying a cheaper engagement ring.
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