4 ms·

Tldr: It's a low loss nonlinear optical component, reducing the loss by a factor of 2.

• cheez 7y ago
  Now explain like I'm five :)
  • lisper 7y ago
    They're trying to make a computer that computes using light that bounces around inside the computer. The more the light bounces around, the dimmer it gets, and the less effective it becomes at computing things. They figured out a way to make the light bounce around twice as long (and so be able to compute more stuff) before it gets too dim to work any more. ("Dim" isn't quite the right word, but you did say five.)
    • cheez 7y ago
      What did that have to do with temperature?
      • ericlewis 7y ago
        I would guess the temperature typically causes the light to be less bouncy.
      • lisper 7y ago
        Light does quantum-y things at room temperature. Other quantum systems have to be very cold before they do quantum-y things.