A switch that lets one photon alter the quantum state of another

Quantum computers are largely theoretical devices that would exploit the weird properties of matter at extremely small scales to perform calculations, in some cases much more rapidly than conventional computers can. To date, the most promising approach to building quantum computers has been to use ions trapped in electric fields. Using photons — particles of light — instead would have many advantages, but it’s notoriously difficult to get photons to interact: Two photons that collide in a vacuum simply pass through each other.

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