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Researchers from the Institute of Physics and the Integrative Research Institute for the Sciences (IRIS) at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin led an international study that can lead to global scale coverage of quantum communication.
Quantum physics, with its counterintuitive characteristics, enables new types of information technologies such as quantum computation and communications. In simple terms, quantum communication is the distribution of quantum bits (qubits) between two or more parties with the goal of establishing truly secure, unhackable links. This is generally done with the help of single particles of light, i.e. photons, transmitted via optical fibres. Fibres are, however, lossy and the “strength” of the signal exponentially decreases with the increasing transmission distance.
In classical communications “repeaters” are installed every few tens of km to amplify the decaying signal which allows the signals to be sent over vast distances. In quantum physics, amplifying, or rather cloning the quantum state of a single particle is forbidden and thus different strategies should be pursued to increase the transmission range. One solution to this problem is the concept of “quantum repeater” which relies on dividing the whole communication link into smaller segments each of which contain a quantum memory device that is able to store qubits. Fibre-based quantum repeaters would indeed help increase the overall distance but they still fall short of providing a global scale coverage.
Now a new work led by researchers from HU Berlin in collaboration with Einstein Center Digital Future (ECDF), University of Strathclyde, DLR Institute of Optical Sensor Systems and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory found a way to extend this limit: their idea is to deploy all the components of a quantum repeater link, including the quantum memory devices, on-board satellites orbiting Earth. The researchers show that such an arrangement would provide around a thousand times faster key distribution rate than the existing protocols. Such a global link would not only have technological applications such as exchanging secure messages and linking geographically distant quantum computers but also be critical to test quantum mechanics across such distances.
Marie Curie research fellow Dr. Mustafa Gündoğan, who is overseeing the quantum memory activities within the Joint Laboratory Integrated Quantum Sensors led by Dr. Markus Krutzik, says: „We are now setting up experiments to study space-compatible quantum memory devices based on different systems such as ultracold and warm atomic gases. Our goal is the development of atom-based technologies for the future application of quantum information storage in space."
This project is supported by the EU, German Space Agency (DLR) with funds provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) by the InnoSpace Masters programme.
Dr. Mustafa Gündoğan,
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Institut für Physik, Joint Lab Integrated Quantum Sensors
Tel.: +49 (0)30 2093-4907
mustafa.guendogan@physik.hu-berlin.de
Dr. Markus Krutzik
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Institut für Physik, Joint Lab Integrated Quantum Sensors
Tel.: +49 (0)30 2093-4814
markus.krutzik@physik.hu-berlin.de
M. Gündoğan, J. Sidhu, V. Henderson, L. Mazzarella, J. Wolters, D.K.L. Oi and M. Krutzik, Proposal for space-borne quantum memories for global quantum networking, npj Quantum Information 7, 128 (2021)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41534-021-00460-9/
https://innospace-masters.de/de/qumsec-quantenspeicher-fuer-sichere-kommunikatio...
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/894590
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