New research offers quantum leap for long-distance secure communications

A new tele technique which harnesses quantum technology could lead to a much more secure form of worldwide internet , scientists have reported. In a new paper published today (Tuesday 24 November) in the journal Nature , researchers from the Universities of Glasgow, Stanford, Tokyo and Würzburg describe how they have implemented a novel tool for a long-distance telecommunication link which is impossible for hackers to breach. The technique could also underpin the creation of a new form of 'quantum internet'. Scientists have previously used the phenomenon of quantum entanglement - also known as 'spooky action at a distance' - to allow the exchange of information over short distances. Entanglement allows particles which are physically separated to nonetheless share properties - for example, the direction of one electron's spin will be related to the direction of spin of its entangled partner. This process of entanglement also allows scientists to encode information in quantum particles, similar to the way in which the ones and zeroes (known as bits) of digital communication are used to encode all kinds of data. Two computers sharing quantum information are much more secure, as any interception by a third party will change the properties of the data itself, allowing easy detection by the intended recipient.