Quantum technology promises dramatic computational speed and security beyond the capabilities of traditional resources.The development of quantum networks is critical to interconnect quantum resources for applications like blind quantum computing, quantum sensors, and distributed quantum computation. While the specific design of these networks is still being researched, any solution should integrate into the existing fiber-optic infrastructure and utilize advanced lightwave communications techniques.
Quantum Internet: A Road Map for the Future
Researchers and scientists worldwide are racing to build the world’s first quantum Internet. In theory, the quantum Internet would take advantage of the unrivaled capabilities of quantum mechanics and allow quantum devices to communicate over a large network.While it’s currently impossible to communicate faster than the speed of light using quantum entanglement, a quantum network would have other advantages. Sending qubits over the quantum Internet would give us computational capabilities far beyond what today’s web applications offer.The Internet posed a transformative impact on our society. A quantum Internet’s vision is to enable quantum communication between any two points on Earth, essentially resulting in a new Internet technology.Quantum Internet will connect quantum information processors, achieving capabilities that are impossible to achieve using only classical information. Quantum internet will also work in conjunction with the “classical” Internet that we have today.
Stages of Development
Sustained efforts in physics, computer science, and engineering are making it possible to build and scale quantum networks.The proposed stages of development aid interdisciplinary communication. They summarize what we’re going to accomplish and provide guidelines for design, software development, and hardware implementations through experimental physics and engineering. Although it’s difficult to predict the exact components of a future quantum Internet, the first multi-node quantum networks will likely emerge in the coming years.
Qubits
Quantum computers take advantage of the sub-atomic behaviors of particles. They create 1s or 0s called “Qubits” by encoding information using the physical properties of individual particles (such as the direction a photon spins). Quantum computing power grows exponentially as more qubits are added to the system. Physicists have discovered a material that could lead to the development of ultrahigh-speed quantum Internet: Silicon carbide (SiC). It efficiently emits photons, allowing quantum cryptography to transfer data at 1 Gbps.
Entanglement
Quantum computers also take advantage of a phenomenon known as “entanglement.” This process consists of two interacting particles that can be separated over vast distances while still being able to interact at any moment. These particles are intrinsically tied to one another and share information. The physical state of one entangled particle also demonstrates the state of the other. These particles share information faster than light due to their instantaneous interactions.
China and its Advancement in Quantum Computing
Chinese scientists launched the world’s first quantum satellite in 2016 and used quantum entanglement to conduct communication experiments hundreds of miles between Earth and space.
In 2021, a group of engineers created a network of quantum computers with a bandwidth switch, lowering operational costs and increasing the theoretical efficiency of quantum Internet. With the successful test of a new Chinese spacecraft, the term “scientific communications test satellite” has taken on a whole new meaning. Using quantum science laws, the mission can theoretically provide unbreakable secret communication channels. The satellite, Micius, was launched from the Gobi Desert in August and is the first of its kind. This launch is part of the push to create a new, more secure Internet. The experimental Micius continues to circle Earth with its delicate optical equipment, transmitting to two mountain-top bases separated by 1,200 kilometers.
Where to From Here?
It’s difficult to predict each of the possible uses of the quantum Internet, as with any radically new technology. Here are a few of the major applications that have already been identified:
- Secure communications
- Clock synchronizations
- Telescope baseline extensions
- Secure identifications
- Efficient agreement on distributed data
- Exponential communication savings
- Quantum sensor networks
- Secure access to remote quantum computers in the cloud
We’ve reviewed the proposed stages of development, an analytical perspective toward a full-fledged quantum Internet, and the processes required to achieve them. At Quantropi, we aim to raise awareness about quantum computing and quantum-secure data communication. We’re bound to be the standard for quantum-secure data communications. Our technology empowers users to achieve unconditional security and is more cost-effective, scalable, and efficient than anything else out there.
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