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A single free electron propagates above the special layered structure that the researchers engineered, only a few tens of nanometers above it. During its movement, the electron emits discrete packets of radiation called photons. Between the electron and the photons it emitted, a connection of quantum entanglement is formed. Credit: Ella Maru Studio

The researchers from the Andrew and Erna Viterbi Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology have presented the first-ever experimental observation of Cherenkov radiation confined within a two-dimensional space. The results were surprising, as they set a new record for electron-radiation coupling strength and revealed the quantum properties of the radiation.

Cherenkov radiation is a unique physical phenomenon that has been utilized for a number of years in medical imaging, particle detection, and laser-driven electron accelerators. The researchers from Technion linked this phenomenon to potential future applications in photonic quantum computing and free-electron quantum light sources.

The study, which was published in Physical Review X, was headed by Ph.D. students Yuval Adiv and Shai Tsesses from the Technion, together with Hao Hu from the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore (now a professor at Nanjing university in China). It was supervised by Prof. Ido Kaminer and Prof. Guy Bartal of the Technion, in collaboration with colleagues from China: Prof. Hongsheng Chen, and Prof. Xiao Lin from Zhejiang University.

The interaction of free electrons with light underlies a plethora of known radiation phenomena and has led to numerous applications in science and industry. One of the most important of these interaction effects is the Cherenkov radiation electromagnetic radiation emitted when a charged particle, such as an electron, travels through a medium at a speed greater than the phase velocity of light in that specific medium.

It is the optical equivalent of a supersonic boom, which occurs, for example, when a jet travels faster than the speed of sound. Consequently, Cherenkov radiation is sometimes called an optical shock wave. The phenomenon was discovered in 1934. In 1958, the scientists who discovered it were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Since then, during more than 80 years of research, the investigation of Cherenkov radiation led to the development of a wealth of applications, most of them for particle identification detectors and medical imaging. However, despite the intense preoccupation with the phenomenon, the bulk of theoretical research and all experimental demonstrations concerned Cherenkov radiation in three-dimensional space and based its description on classical electromagnetism.

Now, the Technion researchers present the first experimental observation of 2D Cherenkov radiation, demonstrating that in two-dimensional space, radiation behaves in a completely different manner for the first time, the quantum description of light is essential to explain the experimental results.

The researchers engineered a special multilayer structure enabling interaction between free electrons and light waves traveling along a surface. The smart engineering of the structure allowed for the first measurement of 2D Cherenkov radiation. The low dimensionality of the effect permitted a glimpse into the quantum nature of the process of radiation emission from free electrons: a count of the number of photons (quantum particles of light) emitted from a single electron and indirect evidence of the entanglement of the electrons with the light waves they emit.

In this context, entanglement means correlation between the properties of the electron and those of the light emitted, such that measuring one provides information about the other. It is worth noting that the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for the performance of a series of experiments demonstrating the effects of quantum entanglement (in systems different from those demonstrated in the present research).

According to Yuval Adiv: The result of the study which surprised us the most concerns the efficiency of electron radiation emission in the experiment: whereas the most advanced experiments that preceded the present one achieved a regime in which approximately only one electron out of one hundred emitted radiation, here, we succeeded in achieving an interaction regime in which every electron emitted radiation. In other words, we were able to demonstrate an improvement of over two orders of magnitude in the interaction efficiency (also called the coupling strength). This result helps advance modern developments of efficient electron-driven radiation sources.

Prof. Kaminer commented: Radiation emitted from electrons is an old phenomenon that has been researched for over a hundred years and was assimilated into technology a long time ago, an example being the home microwave oven. For many years, it seemed that we had already discovered everything there was to know about electron radiation, and thus, the idea that this kind of radiation had already been fully described by classical physics became entrenched. In striking contrast to this concept, the experimental apparatus we built allows the quantum nature of electron radiation to be revealed. The new experiment that was now published explores the quantum-photonic nature of electron radiation.

He continues, The experiment is part of a paradigm shift in the way we understand this radiation, and more broadly, the relationship between electrons and the radiation they emit. For example, we now understand that free electrons can become entangled with the photons they emit. It is both surprising and exciting to see signs of this phenomenon in the experiment.

According to Shai Tsesses, In Yuval Adivs new experiment, we forced the electrons to travel in proximity to a photonic-plasmonic surface that I planned based on a technique developed in the lab of Prof. Guy Bartal. The electron velocity was accurately set to obtain a large coupling strength, greater than that obtained in normal situations, where coupling is to radiation in three dimensions. At the heart of the process, we observe the spontaneous quantum nature of radiation emission, obtained in discrete packets of energy called photons. In this way, the experiment sheds new light on the quantum nature of photons.

Reference: Observation of 2D Cherenkov Radiation by Yuval Adiv, Hao Hu, Shai Tsesses, Raphael Dahan, Kangpeng Wang, Yaniv Kurman, Alexey Gorlach, Hongsheng Chen, Xiao Lin, Guy Bartal and Ido Kaminer, 6 January 2023, Physical Review X.DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.13.011002

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Revealing Quantum Properties of Radiation 2D Interaction Takes ... - SciTechDaily

KT proposed quantum internet technology as an international standardization task at the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) SG 13 meeting held in Geneva from March 13 to 24. The proposal was approved on March 27th.

ITU-T is the standardization division of ITU, which oversees policies and standardization in the global telecommunications field. Technologies approved as standardization tasks by affiliated research groups are established as international standards after discussions among member countries. KT is currently the only domestic telecommunications company to enter the ITU chairperson and lead the global standardization of quantum technology.

Quantum Internet is a next-generation Internet technology that connects quantum computers, quantum sensors, and quantum cryptographic devices in the form of a quantum network by using the "photonic entanglement" phenomenon, in which photons can transmit each other's states even if they are far apart. As much as it uses quantum technology, it has a high level of security that existing Internet technologies cannot provide.

Accordingly, ITU-T SG 13, led by KT, is a new standardization topic constituting a network between quantum devices, a technology to expand the capacity of a quantum computer by interworking between quantum computers using a quantum network, and interworking between quantum sensors using a quantum network. It plans to develop technologies that enhance measurement precision.

The approval of the international standardization project for quantum internet technology narrows the gap and secures technological leadership in quantum internet, which is considered the final stage of quantum technology, in Korea, which has had difficulties in accelerating technology development due to delays in large-scale investment in quantum technology compared to advanced countries. It is meaningful in that it did.

In addition, the convergence technology between Quantum key distribution (QKD) and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) proposed by KT was newly adopted as a standardization task. This technology presents a global regulation that fuses QKD technology that provides absolute security physically to increase the security of the PQC algorithm based on mathematical complexity.

By using this technology, security can be increased by using the quantum cryptographic key provided by QKD even when small and mobile devices such as smartphones or micro-drones move rapidly in random directions.

KT has recently secured commercialization technology for wired and wireless QKD, laying the groundwork for strengthening national security with our technology in the field of aviation and space communication in the future. It is also building an ecosystem for the domestic quantum industry by transferring about 10 self-developed quantum technologies to domestic companies.

Korea IT Times

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KT's quantum internet technology proposal approved as ... - Korea IT Times

At the first International Quantum Communication Conclave, being held in New Delhi from March 27 to 28, 2023, Union Minister of Communications Ashwini Vaishnaw said that India's first quantum computing-based telecommunications network link is now operational in the national capital.

On the first day of the conclave, Vaishnaw said that the quantum computing-based telecommunications network link is now operational between Sanchar Bhawan and the National Informatics Centre office, which is located in the Central Government Offices (CGO) Complex in New Delhi, news agency PTI reported.

Vaishnaw also announced that ethical hackers who can break the encryption of the quantum secure communication link will be awarded a prize money of Rs 10 lakh.

The system is developed by the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), a telecommunications technology development centre under the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India.

Vaishnaw also inaugurated a small exhibition of quantum computing firms and invited those firms to run pilot projects for communications networks and the Indian Railways.

The minister said that today, quantum computing is the new frontier of telecommunications technology for security purposes, news agency ANI reported.

Vaishnaw explained that during the conclave, which will continue till March 28, many collaborations will take place.

The minister said that over the past eight years, the entire telecommunications sector has transformed under the vision and focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

What is quantum computing?

Quantum computing is a rapidly emerging new-generation technology that involves a class of computers 158 million times faster than the most sophisticated supercomputer in the world, and harnesses the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems too difficult for classical computers, and deliver huge leaps forward in processing power. Quantum mechanics is a branch of physics that explains nature on the scale of atoms, and has resulted in advances such as transistors, lasers, and magnetic resonance imaging, since its emergence in the early 1990s. While classical computers generate bits, a quantum computer has the ability to generate and manipulate quantum bits, or qubits.

Bits are electrical or optical pulses representing zeroes (0s) and ones (1s). Most computers work with zeroes and ones, also known as binary information.

A qubit is a quantum bit, the counterpart in quantum computing to the binary digit of classical computing, and is the basic unit of a quantum computer. A qubit is made out of a quantum system, like an electron or photon.

A traditional bit can only be a one or zero. However, a qubit can be a one, a zero, or both at the same time, according to a study published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

Since a qubit can be a one and a zero at the same time, a quantum computer does not have to wait for one process to end before it can begin another.

ALSO READ | Quantum Computing: What Is It? How Is It Different From Classical Computing? How Does It Work?

The importance of quantum security

In recent years, cyber crimes have increased to a great extent, making cybersecurity an utmost priority for the technology and telecommunications industries. While online communication makes people's lives easier, it comes with a lot of drawbacks, which include the lack of secure communication.

The traditional key-based cryptography has become vulnerable for cyber attacks because hackers have adequate computing power to retrieve the key from the encrypted text in real-time.

The most shocking aspect of communication prone to cyber attacks is that the person sending or receiving the message is unaware of the lack of security.

Therefore, in the cases where hackers or intruders retrieve encrypted data, an alert on the infringement sent to the receiver can help prevent further damage.

Such alerts can be sent with the help of quantum computing.

While quantum computers provide the computing power required to break key-based secure communications systems, post-quantum cryptography can protect channels from cyber attacks.

At the first International Quantum Communication Conclave, experts will deliver key insights on quantum computing. The conclave is an opportunity for collaboration among participants to enable them to work on advanced quantum technologies.

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Ethical Hackers Who Break Indias First Quantum Communication Link In New Delhi To Receive 10 Lakh: Telecom Minister - ABP Live

On February 18, 2023, the Mainichi Shimbun, English edition, claimed that "live animal testing" in Japan "drags" behind the rest of the world. That world, according to the Mainichi article, means Europe and the United States. The Mainichi article asserted that, in animal research in Japan, animals are "still subject to needless pain and sacrifice." It also asserted that this is a "situation that seems unlikely to change any time soon."

Furthermore, according to the article, Europe and the United States espouse a "widely accepted" concept "of animals' right to life," implying Western moral superiority compared to Japan. Since Japan allegedly has little or no regard for animal welfare, particularly regarding animals used for biomedical research, the Japanese are morally deficient.

Read part one: Beyond the Propaganda, Animal Testing Helps Save Lives

A spokesperson for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in the article called for a "constructive debate." Yet readers do not see anything resembling a "constructive debate." There were quotes from a middle school student buying "cruelty free" cosmetics and a university veterinarian, who mumbled something about "animal welfare" but did not point out PETA's own pathetic animal welfare record.

What does PETA believe? "Animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way." PETA's leadership has demanded outlawing pet ownership as well as the use of animals in biomedical research.

Based on these stated principles, what is their ultimate goal?

PETA's goal seems to be a world squarely divided into an animal one and a human one. Yet, how is this likely, given the abundance of both visible and non-visible animals that surround humans every day?

Animal rights groups claim that animals have "rights". What rights are these? Animals, they will state, have a "right to life" and a life "free from pain and suffering." Put humans aside, as they are indeed at the apex of the food pyramid, and will animals experience even less pain and suffering?

Anyone who has seen animals in the wild knows that their lives are far from soft and cushy. Under any circumstance, an adult murdering a child is abhorrent. Adult nonhuman animals do kill and sometimes eat their offspring. Have animal "rights" groups filed murder charges against adult animals on behalf of murdered offspring?

Given that the Mainichi Shimbun neglected to elaborate what PETA has in mind for humankind, what are readers to make of the other claims in its article?

The Mainichi made a broad claim that Europeans and Americans "widely accept" "animals' right to life" and "a number of companies" have "stated their opposition" to the use of animals in "research and development of cosmetics and medical products." However, it failed to point out that, in Japan as well as in the US, regulators review safety data before cosmetics and pharmaceuticals are allowed to be sold.

With respect to cosmetics, US regulators have allowed not only safety data obtained from living animals (in vivo) but also previous data for previously approved compounds and safety data obtained from tissue culture (in vitro) and from computer simulations (in silico). Thereby, they allow replacing and reducing the use of laboratory animals.

In Japan, too, both the Japan Cosmetic Industry Association and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare have sought greater use of in silico and in vitro methods to obtain mandated safety data. The Mainichi casts aspersions upon the Japanese, but the Japanese, like Westerners, do appreciate an animal's "right to life."

Most Japanese readily perceive the necessity of biomedical studies utilizing animals according to a 2019 poll of Japanese peoples' attitudes towards the use of animals for biomedical research. At the same time, many express "pity" for experimental animals and concern for pain during procedures.

Most Japanese back improvements in laboratory animal welfare and greater disclosure from scientists concerning the purpose of their biomedical studies. At the same time, only a small minority are interested in supporting a "social movement for abolition and reduction of animal experiments."

Thus, the Japanese are more than eager to learn more and, unlike Westerners, not easily swayed by emotional platitudes.

Revelations of German physicians performing inhumane experiments on people without their consent during the Nazi era led to the creation of a written 10-point guideline for ethical human clinical studies. Some points include obtaining informed, voluntary consent prior to study initiation, clear study objectives and the avoidance of "unnecessary physical and mental suffering and injury."

Highly relevant is point number three: "The experiment should be so designed and based on the results of animal experimentation and a knowledge of the natural history of the disease or other problem under study that the anticipated results will justify the performance of the experiment."

The use of animals for scientific purposes is neither a luxury nor frivolous it is necessary.

The nuts and bolts of laboratory animal welfare varies across the European Union, United States and Japan. But all are based on the universal principle of the "3R's": replacement, reduction, and refinement. Respectively, those mean identifying potentially suitable alternatives for live animals, using the least number of animals without compromising study validity, and improving upon current methods to minimize pain and distress.

The level of government involvement varies across countries as well. In turn, that affects the content and operation of laboratory animal welfare programs within each country.

On one hand, studies in the EU involving animals are regulated at multiple levels by law. The institution, including universities and companies in which studies are conducted, individual researchers and animal study protocols must be authorized by government agencies.

An EU Directive spells out requirements for the care and housing of laboratory animals, from amphibians, birds, and rodents to nonhuman primates and large domesticated animals. Institutions that use animals for scientific purposes are required to have an in-house animal welfare body that oversees the institution's laboratory animal care and use program.

Ultimately, the EU aims to end "all animal research" and replace it with "non-animal methods of research."

In the United States, the use of laboratory animals is regulated at the institutional level. Institutions that receive federal funds are covered by the Animal Welfare Act, which includes specifications on housing, sufficient and documented veterinary care and pre-review of study plans involving laboratory animals.

While individuals and laboratory groups do not face EU-style licensing in the US, institutions must document that animal care and use staff (including visiting scientists, students and heads of labs) are trained and knowledgeable not only in their specific tasks related to animal use but also in the principles of laboratory animal welfare.

Government agencies can and do inspect institutions and their laboratory animal welfare programs for compliance in both the EU and the US. In addition, there are non-governmental animal welfare organizations that do the same, following local laws and official guidelines.

Japan offers a unique approach in regulating laboratory animal welfare. That is to place the burden on individuals involved in the care and use of laboratory animals. While Japan does have laws and official guidelines regarding the humane use of laboratory animals, they are not as onerous as those of the EU and US.

Indeed, the role of the state in regulating laboratory animal welfare greatly varies between China, South Korea and Japan. Institutions and individuals in Japan could conceivably set up their own laboratory animal welfare standards. However, with the assistance of national professional associations, such as the Japanese Association for Laboratory Animal Science, veterinarian groups, such as the Japanese College of Laboratory Animal Medicine, and international organizations, Japanese institutions can benchmark their laboratory animal welfare programs against those of the EU and US.

Contrary to the Mainichi's claims, Japanese institutions do not "drag" behind Western institutions.

The poll mentioned earlier demonstrating substantial acceptance of the use of animals for scientific purposes by the Japanese public also showed a sizable number of those who are undecided, neither for nor opposed. Thus, professional and veterinarian associations in Japan should increase their efforts to clearly elaborate the importance of animals for scientific purposes and that laboratory animal welfare standards in Japan match, or even exceed, those of the West.

Furthermore, it should be pointed out that Japanese commitment to laboratory animal welfare is motivated not by mandates, but by a robust personal conviction.

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Author: Aldric Hama, PhD

Find other reports and analysis by Dr Hama here, on JAPAN Forward.

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The Nuts, Bolts and Ethics of Animal Research in the Global Search for Cures - JAPAN Forward

CLEVELAND, Ohio A shiny cylinder hanging upside down in a clear cube has put Cleveland at the forefront of quantum computing and medical innovation.

The cylinder is the IBM Quantum System One, an advanced quantum computer that can handle large amounts of data at lightning speeds. The Cleveland Clinic on Monday hosted a ribbon-cutting and reception to unveil the IBM Quantum System One in its new home on the Clinics main campus.

It is the first quantum computer in the world uniquely dedicated to healthcare research.

The Clinic will use the most advanced computational platform in the world to advance discoveries in medicine and health care, identify new medicines and treatments more quickly, and create jobs in technology, Clinic CEO Dr. Tom Mihaljevic said.

The IBM Quantum System One is the first private sector IBM-managed quantum computer in the United States.

This puts Cleveland on the cutting edge of anything happening on the planet, Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted said after cutting a ceremonial ribbon in front of the quantum computer with other dignitaries. About 200 leaders from the Clinic, politics, IBM, philanthropy and other sectors attended the reception.

The unveiling of the IBM quantum computer is a key milestone in a 10-year partnership between the Clinic and IBM, called the Discovery Accelerator. The partnership, first announced in 2021, is focused on advancing biomedical research through the use of high-performance computing, artificial intelligence and quantum computing, the Clinic said.

Husted recalled how he urged Clinic leaders to ask IBM for a quantum computer when he visited Cleveland for the presidential debate between then-President Donald Trump and Joe Biden in 2020.

Literally, this is the coolest thing on the planet, Husted said, referring to the quantum computers super-cooled interior. It can solve some of the most complex healthcare questions right here in Cleveland and Ohio.

Other dignitaries in attendance included Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown, IBM Senior Vice President and Director of Research Dario Gil, and IBM Vice Chairman Gary Cohn.

Quantum computing, which is still in development, is a new type of computing that is based on quantum phenomenon, not ones and zeros in a conventional computer. It will be able to crunch larger amounts of data at speeds that regular computers cant match.

Here is an explainer from Technology Review: Quantum machines are so powerful because they harness quantum bits, or qubits. Unlike classical bits, which represent either a 1 or a 0, qubits can be in a kind of combination of both at the same time. Thanks to other quantum phenomena, which are described in our explainer here, quantum computers can crunch large amounts of data in parallel that conventional machines have to work through sequentially. Scientists have been working for years to demonstrate that the machines can definitively outperform conventional ones.

The Clinics quantum computer is about three feet in diameter and five feet long.

Inside the quantum computers cylinder, qubits are arranged on a processor chip. Microwave packets of energy alter the qubits state to change the information that they store.

The microwave packets of energy are then sent through metallic tubes arrayed to look like a chandelier, explained Dr. Lara Jehi, chief research information officer for the Clinic.

The packets of energy travel to the quantum computers processor chip, which is cooled to temperatures near absolute zero in order to make them stable and able to hold information, Jehi said.

A researcher anywhere on the Clinic campus can communicate with the quantum computer using a conventional computer loaded with special software. Answers are translated back to ones and zeros, and sent to the conventional computer.

In a 2019 research paper, researchers at Google said its quantum computer could run a computation in 200 seconds that would take the worlds largest supercomputers 10,000 years to complete. Googles paper was published in the journal Nature.

At the Clinic, quantum computing will be used for chemical simulations for finding new molecules for drug use, understanding complex systems and sequencing genes in cancer cells, Jehi said previously.

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Cleveland Clinic unveils IBM quantum computer; partnership aims to accelerate healthcare innovation - cleveland.com