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Lithium Niobate Crystal
    
  Nearly transparent, this lithium niobate crystal (visible just above the white square section at bottom right of righthand photo) is capable of splitting a beam of photons into two beams of two different colors, an innovation that may help send quantum information through fiber optic cables, one of which is attached to the crystal at its top left corner and extends straight upward to the top of the photo frame.
*ITL

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August 8, 2012

Reference Number
                                12ITL006

Credit
                                Credit: Talbott/NIST

Image Type
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