A recent study has proposed the first-ever practical design for a laboratory-made wormhole that has been shown to be able to bridge spacetime.
Using quantum computing and the principles of quantum entanglement, the new experimental protocol could ultimately allow for the disembodied transport of unknown qubits without a sender or receiver ever having to exchange particles.
The process sounds like teleportation, or the hypothetical transfer of matter or energy from one point to another without crossing physical space. However, unlike teleportation, the researchers say, their process does not require pre-shared entanglement or classical communication between a sender and a receiver.
Study author Dr. Hatim Salih, an honorary research fellow at the University of Bristol’s Quantum Engineering Technology (QET) Labs and co-founder of start-up DotQuantum, has dubbed this new process “counterportation”.
“This is a milestone we have been working toward for a number of years,” said Dr. Salih. “It provides a theoretical and practical framework for re-exploring enduring mysteries about the universe, such as the true nature of space-time.”
Physicists have long suggested that wormholes, or structures connecting different points in spacetime, might exist. Unlike the concept of faster-than-light travel, wormholes are based on a special solution to the Einstein field equations, and their existence is consistent with general relativity.
Some prominent theoretical physicists, such as the late Dr. Stephen Hawking and Dr. Kip Thorne, have even argued that it might be possible to artificially create and stabilize a traversable wormhole that could connect points billions of light years apart, or even afford the ability to time travel.
However, to date, the actual physical occurrence of a wormhole has never been observed or verified.
Be that as it may, the burgeoning field of quantum computing has allowed scientists to flirt with ideas that until then had been entirely the preserve of science fiction.
In November, scientists at Cal-Tech University developed the first-ever quantum experiment to study the behavior of a theoretical wormhole.
Two years ago, scientists at Fermilab announced the first-ever successful demonstration of sustained, long-range, high-fidelity quantum teleportation. The groundbreaking achievement represented a significant step towards the realization of a viable quantum internet, which researchers say will revolutionize the world of computing and information technology.
“Once fully developed, [quantum computers] can solve important problems that would take a classical computer millions of years to solve,” said Dr. University of Calgary’s Daniel Oblak told The Debrief. “A quantum internet, in which quantum computers or sensors are connected and exchange quantum information, may well surprise us with applications that we have not yet imagined.”
“Quantum teleportation” plays a crucial role in quantum information technology. However, the process does not involve the transfer of physical objects from one location to another like popular fictional depictions of teleportation, such as B. the transporter used by members of the USS Enterprise in the television series Star Trek.
“Quantum teleportation has a somewhat unfortunate association with science fiction versions of teleportation,” explained Dr. Oblak. “In quantum teleportation, the quantum state of a particle is transferred to an already existing particle at another location. Therefore teleportation in Scotty’s sense of beaming up requires that the complete set of basic components, i.e. all atoms, are present at the receiving end in order for the quantum information to be encoded on it.”
But unlike quantum teleportation, this could be done by Dr. Salih’s proposed concept of “counterportation” would allow for the non-interactive transmission of information or shortcuts in the fabric of space-time that would resemble the colloquial idea of teleportation.
“Remarkably, while counterportation achieves teleportation’s end goal, which is disembodied transport, it does so with no detectable carriers of information traveling across,” said Dr. Salih.
The proposed method is said to be “several orders of magnitude more efficient in terms of physical resources than the previously proposed implementation and pave the way for demonstration using existing imperfect devices.”
dr Salih says he’s working with leading quantum experts to test his theory, including building a verifiable and observable wormhole in a laboratory setting. “The goal in the near future is to physically build such a wormhole in the laboratory, which can then be used as a testbed for competing physical theories, even those on quantum gravity,” added Dr. added Salih.
“This work will be in the spirit of the multi-billion dollar projects that exist to observe new physical phenomena, such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), but at a fraction of the resources . Our hope is to eventually give physicists, amateur physicists and enthusiasts remote access to local wormholes to study fundamental questions about the universe, including the existence of higher dimensions.”
Unfortunately, as promising as this sounds, the idea of using a traversable wormhole to “counterport” through the cosmos like Captain Kirk isn’t something we’ll be seeing any time soon. For this, a completely new type of quantum computer has to be developed.
“If counterportation is to be realized, a completely new type of quantum computer has to be built: an exchange-free one, in which communicating parties do not exchange particles,” said Dr. Has in.
“Unlike large quantum computers, which promise remarkable accelerations that no one yet knows how to build, exchange-free quantum computers, even at the smallest scale, promise to make seemingly impossible tasks – like counterportation – possible by using space alongside time.” fundamentally involved.”
Nevertheless, let’s assume that the researchers finally manage to realize a lab-created wormhole and demonstrate the concept of counterportation. If so, scientists say that along with the obvious benefits, it would also provide a ‘smoking gun’ for the existence of a physical reality within the inner workings of the universe.
“From Counterportation to Local Wormholes” was recently published in the journal Quantum Science and Technology.
Tim McMillan is a retired law enforcement officer, investigative reporter and co-founder of The Debrief. His writing typically focuses on defense, national security, the intelligence community, and topics related to psychology. You can follow Tim on Twitter: @LtTimMcMillan. Tim can be reached via email: [email protected] or via encrypted email: [email protected]
