‘Twisting’ light packs more information into one photon

March 24, 2008 | Source: New Scientist news service

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign researchers have managed to to make a photon carry 1.63 bits, and theoretically 2 bits, by using twisted light (by giving it orbital angular momentum).

The technique could help maximize the amount of information carried per unit of energy in satellite communications.