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(PhysOrg.com) -- Using photons instead of electrons to transmit information could lead to faster and more secure ways to communicate, among other advantages. Now a team of physicists has taken another step toward realizing quantum photonic technologies by demonstrating how to quickly manipulate single photons at the same wavelengths used in existing optical telecommunications networks. The ability to control a photon’s path and polarization in the time of a few nanoseconds could allow photonic circuits to be integrated with existing optical telecom networks, leading to significant improvements.

Experts say the cascading blackout that put millions of Westerners in the dark last week was no surprise: Major power outages have more than doubled in the last decade. "This is just evidence that we need a smarter, better, more secure system," said Massoud Amin, director of the Technological Leadership Institute at the University of Minnesota, who has analyzed federal data on the reliability of the nation's electric grid.

It's hard to remember a time before automated teller machines made our money available 24/7. And since the first networked ATM more than 40 years ago, banks have been trying to make their electronic tellers more secure and more versatile. [More]