The future of astronomy goes far beyond the James Webb Space
Telescope.
For example, it's theoretically possible to use quantum
computers as a means for constructing colossal, planet-sized telescopes,
according to a study shared to a preprint server and initially reported by New Scientist.
And, if we could make it work, a planetary telescope would
peer much farther into the big black abyssal depths of space, and image the
distant universe at untold levels of resolution.
Such an endeavor could "revolutionize astronomical
imaging," according to the study.
Pooling astronomical data with quantum techniques
In astronomy, arranging several telescopes to function
unanimously is what's called an interferometer — and these essentially enable
observations of the universe with a gigantic aperture, overcoming
"physical limitations including loss" and the noise of the cosmos by
employing quantum communications methods.
The study suggests processing each photon individually as it
slams into the telescope array from a universe away — which sounds like
insanely meticulous work until you consider the powers of a quantum memory
storage device. Specifically, the phenomenon of quantum entanglement would
allow two or more discrete telescopes to share information with one another in
an instant.
A first step to next-gen astronomy using quantum techniques
Of course, this would make a mess in the database, leaving
an image that few could decipher — but a self-correcting quantum computer could
see order in chaos, resolving errors without need of numerical simulations —
like our comparably primitive computers.
It's a wild, inspiring idea, but while planet-sized quantum
telescopes could work in theory, the problem of putting it into practice remains,
like an unspeakably giant wall of unprecedented challenges. "There are
many more challenges that need to be addressed for a planet-sized device, but
this is a good first step," said lead author of the study Zixin Huang of
Macquarie University, in Australia, according to the New Scientist report.
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