Topological protection Quantum light with one twist (top row) starts pristine (doughnut shaped with a spiral phase) but warps and degrades beyond recognition when passing through severe environments. However, by extracting the hidden topology shown as wrapped spheres within the entangled state (bottom row), the core quantum information remains unbroken. (Courtesy: Wits University)"> Topological protection Quantum light with one twist (top row) starts pristine (doughnut shaped with a spiral phase) but warps and degrades beyond recognition when passing through severe environments. However, by extracting the hidden topology shown as wrapped spheres within the entangled state (bottom row), the core quantum information remains unbroken. (Courtesy: Wits University)

Researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in Johannesburg, South Africa, have succeeded in harnessing a relatively unexplored property of light – its topology – to robustly transfer information through the atmosphere.…