John Rarity facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Rarity
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Rarity in 2015
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John G. Rarity
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| Alma mater | University of Sheffield Royal Military College of Science |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | University of Bristol |
| Thesis | Number fluctuation spectroscopy applied to coagulating dispersions (1984) |
John G. Rarity is a British physicist. He is a professor at the University of Bristol, where he teaches about optical communication systems. He started this job on January 1, 2003.
Professor Rarity is a world expert in quantum optics, quantum cryptography, and quantum communication. These fields use tiny particles of light called photons and a special connection called entanglement. He is part of the Quantum Computation and Information group at the University of Bristol.
Contents
Education and Early Life
John Rarity studied at the University of Sheffield to get his first degree. Later, in 1984, he earned his PhD from the Royal Military College of Science. His research was about how light can be used to study tiny particles clumping together.
Amazing Research and Career
Before joining the University of Bristol in 2001, Professor Rarity worked as a physicist. He was at a government science agency in the United Kingdom called the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA).
While at DERA, he made some important discoveries. In 1994, he showed how light particles can interact in strange ways, even when they are far apart. This experiment helped prove a concept called Bell's Inequality over 4 kilometers of optical fiber.
His team then worked on quantum cryptography. This is a super-secure way to send secret messages using light. His team set a world record by sending secure quantum messages through the air over 1.9 kilometers. In 2002, he worked with a university in Munich to send quantum messages through the open air over an even longer distance of 23.4 kilometers!
Since moving to the University of Bristol, Professor Rarity has built a team that does experiments in quantum optics. One exciting project he worked on was with HP Labs. They developed ways to make quantum key distribution systems more affordable. These systems use flashing LED lights instead of expensive lasers to send tiny bits of quantum information, called qubits. This makes secure communication cheaper and easier to use.
In 2007, Professor Rarity helped show how quantum key distribution could work over a very long distance. They sent secret keys using light beams through the air for 144 kilometers. This was between the islands of Tenerife and La Palma.
Books and Papers
Professor Rarity has written books, including Microcavities and Photonic Bandgaps: Physics and Applications. He has also written many important scientific papers. Some of his well-known papers include Practical quantum cryptography based on two-photon interferometry and Experimental violation of Bell's inequality based on phase and momentum.
Awards and Special Recognitions
John Rarity has received several important awards for his work:
- In 1995, he won the Thomas Young Medal and Prize.
- In 2015, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.
- In 2023, he won the Micius Quantum Prize.
