Scientists Step Toward Quantum Internet With Experiment Under the Streets of Boston

Imagine a world where sensitive information, such as financial or national security data, could travel through a quantum internet that is virtually unhackable. This future network would run parallel to the traditional internet, ensuring that important data remains secure.

While the concept of a quantum internet is promising, the journey to building and scaling such a system is filled with challenges. Scientists have been working tirelessly to overcome these obstacles, with recent advancements bringing us closer to a practical quantum communication network. For example, a team of researchers at Harvard successfully sent entangled photons between two quantum memory nodes located 22 miles apart in Boston using existing fiber optic infrastructure.

Entanglement, a quantum property where particles are linked and changes in one particle affect the other, is a key mechanism for transmitting information in a quantum network. By harnessing entangled photons, secure data transmission becomes possible. However, the long-distance travel of entangled particles presents a significant challenge due to photon absorption in fiber optic cables.

To address this issue, scientists are exploring the use of quantum repeaters, which act as “gas stations” for refreshing and maintaining the fidelity of information transmitted over long distances. These repeaters play a crucial role in preserving entanglement, a vital component of quantum communication.

The recent breakthrough by the Harvard team in developing quantum memory nodes represents a significant step towards creating a practical quantum repeater. These nodes, which function as small quantum computers, are capable of receiving, recording, and transmitting quantum information at near absolute zero temperatures.

Collaborative efforts in China have also shown promising results in quantum communication research, with advancements in entangling memory nodes over significant distances. While challenges remain in increasing the entanglement rate of machines and expanding the network to include multiple nodes, each breakthrough brings us closer to achieving secure and unhackable quantum communications.

As researchers continue to piece together the technology needed for a functional quantum internet, the vision of a secure and reliable network for transmitting sensitive information becomes increasingly tangible.

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