By harnessing chaotic behavior, researchers in nonlinear science hope to revolutionize communication, greatly expanding the speed and complexity of electronic information systems.
Chaotic signals lie somewhere between regular signals and noise.
A sea of chaotic signals appears like noise because it contains all the frequencies, but differs from the randomness of noise by being slightly predictable. Rajarshi Roy, professor of physics at Georgia Tech and his coworkers are investigating lasers that display chaotic behavior. Learning to stabilize these lasers, Roy found the machines can store more information than conventional lasers. Roy's team is exploring the laser's unique ability to conceal data. The sender camouflages a secret message within a chaotic signal that sounds like static, then transmits the combined chaos and message.