Teleportation Is Closer to Moving Data, But Not People

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By Katie Nelson2014-06-01 02:00:30 UTC

Humanity is one step nearer to quicker computers, but still very far away from Harry Potter-like apparating.

Dutch physicists have successfully transported data from one electron to another three meters away, rendering previous doubts about quantum physics unfounded. The discovery — which took place at the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, a branch of Delft University of Technology — was announced in a research paper released in Science, a journal published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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While quantum teleportation has been achieved in the past, this is the first time all of the data has transferred successfully, according to an report on CNET.

If this new technology proves to be as groundbreaking as the data suggests, scientists could be looking at faster data transportation and therefore, faster computing. Quantum computing is still a theory at this point, but this new find could present opportunities for further research into the subject.

This isn't the same kind of teleportation differs you'd need to physically move humans from one location to another. The data being transported in the former consists of quantum bits — or qubits — that make up the spin state of an electron. In other words, physical matter is not being moved.

The scientists who published the research also posted a YouTube video of themselves running the experiment, along with step-by-step instructions detailing the teleportation process. While the video makes it clear that only qubits can be teleported, the scientists leave open the question of whether humans will someday travel similarly.

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Topics: Dev & Design, future tech, quantum mechanics, Tech

Image: sakkmesterke/Associated Press