Scientists estimated that they’d confirm suspicions that we’re not alone in the coming decades based on recent advancements in space telescope technology.
According to senior officer Seth Shostak at Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI), we will find the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life within 20 years.
But if aliens exist, how do they communicate? A new study by the Imperial College London quantum physicist Terry Rudolph suggests that aliens could be using stars to communicate with each other secretly.
Rudolph stated that aliens could be using stars to send messages to others across space. They harness the power of entangled photons from various stars to send these hidden messages.
This idea of communication appears to be random blinking to others. While it is pure speculation, but it is possible in terms of physics.
In his paper, Rudolph noted, “Free-space diffraction of photons distributes highly useful entanglement: the receivers of the propagated modes can do a distributed quantum computation using only linear optics and photon counting.”
The phenomenon of quantum entanglement occurs when two or more particles interact in a way such that the quantum state of each particle of the group cannot be described independently of the state of the others, including when the particles are separated by a large distance. It means observation of one of the entangled particles can automatically reveal information about the other entangled particles.
Quantum entanglement has been demonstrated experimentally with photons in communication. It just requires the receivers to use only linear optics (passive interferometers) and photon number counting and to be able to communicate classically.
But, how do these links to alien communication? In his paper, Rudolph stated that “The speculation in the title arises from the further observation that the natural way for a circumspect civilization to hide their photonic entanglement distribution is to use the thermal light already being emitted from the various stars they visit.”
For such communication, they must know the number of photons in the modes they have chosen to use. This would necessitate performing a quantum non-demolition measurement of the photon number.
Rudolf wrote, “Because the thermal light they are measuring is diagonal in the number basis, even this process can be rendered in principle indiscernible to those of us excluded from the conversation.”
Photons travel at the speed of 186,282 mi/s, propagate billions of light-years, and retain significant quantum coherence.
Rudolph said, “One consequence is therefore that a sufficiently advanced civilization can perform quantum non-demolition measurements of photon number on suitable modes of light being emitted from stars, in such a way that useful large-scale entanglement is distributed by the subsequent free-space propagation of that light through the universe.”
Reference:
- Terry Rudolph. Perhaps they are everywhere? Undetectable distributed quantum computation and communication for alien civilizations can be established using thermal light from stars. (Paper)