New free-space optical link adds a wireless component to the nation's longest quantum network

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Brookhaven Lab scientist Justine Haupt looks in a mirror in the Quantum Lighthouse — one of three state-of-the-art facilities making up the free-space-optical link that adds a wireless component to the nation's longest quantum network. This mirror is the heart of the telescope technology Haupt developed to enable the transmission of light particles containing quantum information through open air. Credit: David Rahner/Brookhaven National Laboratory There's a new lighthouse on Long Island. But instead of shining light to guide ships through waterways, this one transmits and receives particles of light that carry quantum information. Perched atop a seven-story building at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, the "Quantum Lighthouse" is a key pillar of the free-space…