Scientists figure out how to momentarily store images in vapor

You don't have to be a science buff to understand that atoms in gases move around a heck of a lot more than those in solids. For instance, text on a paper page isn't apt to just reshuffle itself when no one is looking, but printing the latest Harry Potter novel on thin air could prove just a touch more difficult. Said challenge isn't too much for physicists from varying institutions in Israel, as they have recently demonstrated how to ever-so-briefly store images in a warm atomic vapor. Reportedly, the gurus have figured out how to "store complex images for up to 30 microseconds in rubidium vapor," and if mastered, the process could help unlock secrets of "quantum information processing and even quantum communication." If your interest meter just shot through the roof (you geek, you), head on down to the read link to slurp up more on how it's being done.

[DiscruntledIT @ Jun 24th 2008 2:46AM]

Rubidium vapor... what can't it do?

[Demo @ Jun 24th 2008 10:54AM]

Find true love.

[Osayi @ Jun 24th 2008 3:52PM]

Magic trick: Now you see it, now you...

[Osayi @ Jun 24th 2008 3:57PM]

Magic trick: Now you see it, now you...

[Tim @ Jun 24th 2008 2:49AM]

so, could this be used for a 3d display in thin air? that'd be pretty sweet.

[Kurian @ Jun 24th 2008 3:22AM]

With a 30 microsecond respond time!

[PrimoLevinas @ Jun 24th 2008 3:33AM]

Duration is not respond time.

[Kurian @ Jun 24th 2008 5:00AM]

I know. I didnt mean to be scientifically correct.

[Motoken @ Jun 24th 2008 12:25PM]

well if it kept printing over and over it would seem as if the image stayed in thin air.

[Wwhat @ Jun 24th 2008 3:04PM]

The experiment is storing an image invisibly in the gas in a quantum state for upto 30 microsecond then they re-activate it and it's shown to be there.
In other words it doesn't show a picture for those 30 microseconds but stores it for that time, and if you want some application you might consider it as storage medium rather than as a display.

[loosely_coupled @ Jun 24th 2008 9:30PM]

NO

[Zero @ Jun 24th 2008 3:17AM]

Uh, basically its a leap towards extremely fast processing... i think.

[ScooterDe @ Jun 24th 2008 3:20AM]

how does a display equate to processing? Do you shoot your monitor when your PC frustrates you?

[C Hebert @ Jun 24th 2008 3:48AM]

You can't compute with something you can't remember, a big hurtle in quantum computing is storing the computed state for long enough without having it collapse and lose it's quantum-y goodness.

[Zero @ Jun 24th 2008 4:10AM]

quantum information processing... did you read the article?

[Yagmur @ Jun 24th 2008 3:44AM]

So waporware got a new meaning.. :)

[AJ @ Jun 24th 2008 10:03AM]

...and a new spelling.

[unoqualsiasi @ Jun 24th 2008 3:48AM]

No, it's just vaporware

[urandom @ Jun 24th 2008 4:25AM]

Ah, quantum communication. Messages that hold an infinite amount of useful information, as long as no one is reading them.

[Wwhat @ Jun 24th 2008 3:05PM]

Perfect for congressional committees!

[yyy @ Jun 24th 2008 4:40AM]

Good work by the Israeli scientists! Makes me wonder how come Israel won't get to release an iPhone officially before these other 70 countries. At least they're trying: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15342704508 :)

[Graham @ Jun 24th 2008 9:12AM]

Because when a company releases a product to a country they dont really look at how smart their scientists are. Instead they usually look towards the demand of the product in that region.

[yyy @ Jun 24th 2008 9:56AM]

@Graham: It doesn't seem like Apple checked the demand for the iPhone in the 70 countries they're going to release the iPhone in.

For example, Israel's mobile telecom market has a penetration rate almost 125%. In other words, there are more than nine million mobile phone accounts for a population of 7.2 million people. I'm sure Apple could have sold more iPhones there than in Liechtenstein which only has a population of 35,365 people, or in the developing countries in Africa which are going to release the iPhone soon.

My comment referred to the fact that it's weird that Apple chooses to ignore such a developed country like Israel which certainly has a demand for an iPhone.

[Jherez @ Jun 24th 2008 11:02AM]

So since you brought this up I'm guess the iPhone has quantum communication?

[ddub @ Jun 24th 2008 1:33PM]

I went to Israel over 10 years ago, and every single person there owned a cell phone while back in the states I knew maybe one or two people who had one.

[WookiE @ Jun 24th 2008 4:41AM]

Would make some cool fireworks :)

[topspeed @ Jun 24th 2008 7:13AM]

Add this ability for methane gas, combine it with a detector and you've finally solved the problem of "who's fart is it anyways?" The name of the fart's owner will be etched in methane for all to see!

[jorvay @ Jun 24th 2008 9:05AM]

yeah, but just imagine the equipent that would have to be surgically implanted in your butt...

[Ian @ Jun 24th 2008 2:55PM]

who ever smelt it dealt it!

[SirWalksAlot @ Jun 24th 2008 9:20AM]

I bet the people down at 3D Realms are excited.

[Telanis @ Jun 24th 2008 9:43AM]

That image is one-third the number of the Beast. Scary?

[idiot @ Jun 24th 2008 10:29AM]

whoa whoa whoa, wait...another Harry Potter?

[Ethan @ Jun 24th 2008 12:51PM]

I'm interested, but equally I let the scientists science. I don't think there's much advantage to me in knowing how it actually works if I'm not involved in the project or the industries it affects.

[Wwhat @ Jun 24th 2008 3:08PM]

Well you never know when someone, perhaps for instance the government, will try to sell you snake-oil, so it's good to know what's real and what's fake in science for that reason too.

[Sean @ Jun 24th 2008 2:23PM]

Better brush up on your speed-reading technique.

[Zed @ Jun 24th 2008 7:52PM]

For a moment I thought that read as "Sub-space communications." :) That would be sweet.