Click here to receive your FREE subscription to Campus Technology
News
Michigan Prof Pushes Quantum Computing, Code Breaking
9/13/2007
University of Michigan researchers are working on new optical technology that could lead to the faster development of quantum computers and ultimately to tougher data security techniques and faster encryption cracking.The researchers, led by Duncan Steel, a professor of computer science at the University of Michigan and faculty from the University of California, San Diego and the Naval Research Lab, used pulses of light to create interactions in quantum dots--particles so small that the addition or subtraction of electrons changes their properties.
The team found they could control the frequency and phase shifts in the optical network, which is crucial to powering a quantum computer, Steel said. The arrival of quantum computers could crack within seconds difficult encryption that might take today's computers 20 years to solve.
Steel said the secret of quantum computing is unprecedented multitasking. "Quantum computers are capable of massive parallel computations," Steel said. "That's why these machines are so fast."
Read More:
Paul McCloskey is a contributing editor for the Campus Technology group of publications.
Cite this Site
copy text (above) for proper citation
Recommended Reading
- Sun, Stanford Working To Archive History
In May in San Francisco, experts from leading universities, libraries, and research institutions around the world met as part of an ongoing effort to address a pressing issue: archiving the world's history, right up to today.
- The Quilt Coalition Rolls Out XO Communications for High-Capacity Network Services
The Quilt, a coalition of 28 regional network organizations, has added XO Communications Services to its authorized vendor list. The Quilt represents 200 universities and thousands of other educational institutions across the United States. With this new relationship, Quilt members can purchase XO's high-speed IP transit and network transport services at competitive rates.
- Wimba Classroom 5.2 Expands Classroom Capture Support, Adds MP3 Downloads
At the NECC 2008 conference in Texas this week, Wimba launched a new version of Wimba Classroom, the virtual classroom component of the company's Collaboration Suite. The new 5.2 release expands options for classroom capture and adds a variety of other functional and ease of use features.
- Automation Chimera: Education Is Not Management
The lure of automating workflow online so human intervention is minimized is continually reinforced in the minds of higher education administrators by examples of automated campus systems such as financials, student information systems, and other enterprise systems. But what's good for management is not always good for learning.
- Cognos Releases BI Software for Linux-based IBM System z Mainframe
Cognos, which IBM acquired in January, has released an update to its business intelligence software that will run on the Linux operating system on IBM System z mainframes. IBM Cognos 8 BI was being developed by the two companies prior to the acquisition, but assimilation of Cognos into IBM accelerated development.
- Facebook and Collegiality: A Serendipitous Social Niche
Facebook is a way to greet a colleague as if she or he is on your own campus: a wave at a distance, a hello at the corner burrito place, a honk as you both leave the campus parking lot. Informal collegiality has been extended over the miles.
