Scientists reveal 17,000 topological patterns in entangled light using 48 dimensions

Key facts

• Researchers from University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and Huzhou University mapped over 17,000 topological signatures across 48 dimensions in entangled light.
• The study published in Nature Communications used spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) to generate entangled photons with orbital angular momentum (OAM).
• Professor Andrew Forbes noted that only OAM, not OAM plus polarisation, was needed to create the topology.
• The topological patterns act as a robust alphabet for quantum information, enhancing error resistance in quantum networks.