Europe is actively leading the way in the development of a network infrastructure based on the principles of quantum physics.
in a significant breakthrough, dr. benjamin lanyon at the university of innsbruck in austria achieved a major milestone in may 2023. he successfully transmitted information over a 50-kilometer-long optical fiber using quantum physics principles.
unlike the binary digits used in conventional computing systems which comprise the foundation of the current world wide web, information in quantum physics operates on an entirely different level. it pertains to the properties and interactions of molecules, atoms, and even smaller particles such as electrons and photons.
quantum bits, also known as "qubits," hold the potential for transmitting information with enhanced security due to the way particles are altered through observation and measurement. this property prevents eavesdroppers from going unnoticed.
dr. lanyon believes that his breakthrough makes the concept of a quantum internet feasible within urban areas, with the eventual objective of connecting cities over longer distances.
he conducted his research in collaboration with the quantum internet alliance (qia) as part of a european union (eu) research project. the qia unites various research institutions and companies across europe and has received €24 million in eu funding for a duration of three and a half years until march 2026.
stephanie wehner, a german native and quantum information professor at delft university of technology in the netherlands, leads the qia. she emphasizes that the quantum internet does not seek to replace the classical internet but rather to augment it. services like netflix will continue to rely on the classical infrastructure.
entanglement represents a fundamental concept in quantum physics. when particles are entangled, their properties remain connected regardless of the spatial distance between them. for instance, they may possess identical measurements of a property called "spin," which relates to the direction of their particle's spin at a quantum level.
the state of the particles in terms of their spin remains uncertain until they are observed. prior to observation, they exist in multiple superposition states. however, once one particle is measured, the state of both particles becomes known.
this property of entanglement offers valuable applications in secure communications. attempting to tamper with a quantum transmission leaves a trace due to the requirement of changing the state of an observed particle. consequently, secure quantum communication remains strongly secure even against potential attacks from quantum computers.
the development of a quantum internet enables a wide range of applications beyond the confines of the classical internet. in the field of medicine, for example, entanglement allows for precise clock synchronization, thereby improving telemedical procedures such as telesurgery.
wehner explains, "if i want to perform surgery on some remote node, i want this to be very precisely timed in order to not make any mistakes."
astronomy could also benefit from the quantum internet. telescopes conducting distant observations could employ a quantum network to generate entanglement between sensors, resulting in significantly improved imagery of the celestial bodies.
another potential application lies in the realm of atms. currently, if an atm experiences a crash during a cash withdrawal, the system assumes no cash was dispensed, while the user's account might register a withdrawal. a quantum internet could resolve such discrepancies.
while the full range of applications for a quantum internet may only become apparent once the technology is fully developed, its potential lies in enabling precise measurements of space, time, and the exploration of the workings of the world and the universe.
according to lanyon, "it offers a whole range of new possibilities for making precise measurements of space and time and studying how the world and the universe work."
Distance test
the challenge at hand is to scale up a quantum internet that utilizes multiple particles over extended distances.
lanyon and his team have showcased the ability to communicate not only between individual particles but also between "trains" of particles, specifically photons. this advancement accelerates the process of entanglement between quantum nodes.
"when you send one photon at a time, you are constrained by travel time," explained lanyon. "however, by generating trains of photons simultaneously, we can enhance the rate of entanglement between quantum nodes for the desired distances."
the ultimate objective is to expand quantum nodes to much larger ranges, potentially reaching 500 kilometers, and develop a prototype of a quantum internet capable of connecting remote cities. this concept parallels the classical internet, which relies on various nodes to establish a global network.
while a specialized quantum internet may become a reality as early as 2029, experts refrain from speculating on when a full-fledged version will be available for diverse applications.
"it's an extremely challenging question," stated wehner.
as the quantum industry alliance (qia) progresses the components and systems of the quantum internet, europe is also dedicated to developing quantum computers themselves.
in june 2023, the european high performance computing joint undertaking, an eu public-private partnership, disclosed that quantum computers would be hosted in six european countries: the czech republic, france, germany, italy, poland, and spain.
the objective is to ensure that europe maintains a leading position in the quantum technologies revolution. quantum computers are anticipated to possess unparalleled computing power and offer numerous applications, including the ability to decrypt the cryptographic algorithms that currently secure most internet communications.
a competitive landscape
europe is not the sole interested party, given predictions that half of the most widely used cryptographic systems will be compromised by the end of this decade.
china and the united states have also made significant advancements in quantum computing and the quantum internet in recent years.
regarding the infrastructure aspect, europe is taking additional measures. it is actively developing an integrated space and terrestrial infrastructure to facilitate secure communications, serving as a crucial building block for the quantum internet.
"i'm immensely proud to say that we lead the world in many domains," wehner declared.
while substantial work remains to be done in all countries involved, the potential benefits indicate further progress and breakthroughs in the not-too-distant future.
"lately, we have witnessed a rapid development of new applications of quantum networks," commented lanyon.
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