This team of researchers has developed a method to control ‘femtosecond’. They showed that controlling the peaks within the laser pulses along with twisting the light was possible. This method moves the electrons faster and in a more efficient manner than electrical currents. The University of Michigan believes that this is a positive step towards ‘lightwave electronics’ and eventually towards quantum computing.
In the current computers; some electrons moving through the semi-conductors bump into each other, and eventually release energy as heat. This is not efficient computing. To move pulses into a higher energy level; the team used crystals known as ‘gallium selenide’ as semi-conductors, and then shone short pulses of laser into them. Notably, when the electrons move back from energy levels that are higher; they emit pulses which are shorter.
In conclusion, a lot more has to be done before this method can be used practically in the lightwave or quantum computers. But, the development done by this team of researchers is definitely a huge step towards the fulfillment of this goal.
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