Single photons are very useful for physicists. When generated in a controlled fashion, they can be used for studying quantum physics and for transmitting and processing information. In this 100 Second Science film, Peter Mosley explains how these individual particles of light can be produced in a systemic way using a process known as parametric down conversion. Mosely, an optics researcher at the University of Bath in the UK, describes this process in an accessible way using just a whiteboard.
To find out more about the latest light-related research, take a look at the Physics World Focus on Optics & Photonics. This free-to-read issue includes a special feature about the vital role that optics and photonics play in the UK’s new £270m Quantum Technologies Programme.
