Superluminal speed of information?

Günter Nimtz ()
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Günter Nimtz: Universität zu Köln, II Physikalisches Institut

Nature, 2004, vol. 429, issue 6987, 40-40

Abstract: Abstract Arising from: M. D. Stenner, D. J. Gauthier & M. A. Neifeld Nature 425, 695–698 (2003); Stenner et al. reply The theory of special relativity limits signal velocity to the velocity of light in a vacuum. A faster-than-light (superluminal) signal velocity would violate causality1,2. However, there are some experimental data and theoretical arguments that a causality violation does not necessarily happen if a signal velocity becomes superluminal3. Stenner et al.4 claim to have measured the speed of information in a fast-light optical medium by using a novel experimental set-up. The measured information (its front) travelled at a speed that did not exceed c (the velocity of light in vacuum). Their experimental result is correct but the interpretation is misleading because the information did not travel in the range of fast-light frequencies, as I explain here.

Date: 2004
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DOI: 10.1038/nature02586

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