Scientists now plan to expand the technology. (Representational Pic)
Scientists claim to have achieved a major breakthrough by "teleporting" an image. The feat was achieved by researchers from University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and The Institute of Photonic Sciences (ICFO) in Spain, getting one step closer to the technology made possible by 'Star Trek'. Scientists used cutting-edge technique that uses an advanced form of quantum communication. In layman's term the information (data) is exchanged in the form of 1s and 0s. Using quantum physics, researchers transported images across a network.
They now plan to expand the technology so that they are able to send more complex pieces of information - such as fingerprint of face.
In a release published on the university's website last month, scientists said this new approach uses a "teleportation-inspired configuration" rather than physically transmitting images.
This means the information doesn't physically travel between communicating parties like it does on a smartphone or TV broadcast.
"Traditionally, two communicating parties physically send the information from one to the other, even in the quantum realm. Now, it is possible to teleport information so that it never physically travels across the connection - a "Star Trek" technology made real," lead principal investigator Andrew Forbes, professor at Wits University, is quoted as saying in the release.
It said that the team of researchers performed the first experimental demonstration of the quantum transport of high-dimensional states with just two entangled photons as a quantum resource, which resulted in the information appearing to be "teleported" from the sender to the receiver.
To make the advance, the team used a non-linear optical detector that circumvents the need for additional photons, yet works for any "pattern" that needs to be sent, the release further said.