Researchers from the University of Arizona, working with an international team, have generated ultrafast squeezed light pulses and achieved the first real-time measurement and control of quantum uncertainty. Their discovery, published in Light: Science & Applications, could advance secure communication and the development of ultrafast quantum optics.
The team, led by Mohammed Hassan, an associate professor of physics and optical sciences, developed a new method for producing extremely short bursts of squeezed light using a process called four-wave mixing. By controlling the squeeze through a simple mechanical adjustment, they demonstrated the ability to switch between amplitude and phase squeezing. As an application, the team demonstrated a petahertz-scale secure quantum communication protocol, which encodes data directly onto ultrafast squeezed waveforms. The protocol provides additional layers of protection against eavesdropping.
This achievement establishes a foundation for the new field of ultrafast quantum optics. Hassan noted that the work shows that quantum uncertainty is a dynamic, tunable property rather than a fixed limit. The research was supported by a range of international funding sources, including the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the European Research Council, and others.
Read the full announcement from the University of Arizona here and the research article in Light: Science & Applications here.
October 7, 2025
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