tag:theconversation.com,2011:/id/topics/quantum-internet-82740/articlesQuantum internet – The Conversation2023-05-09T01:03:59Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2052322023-05-09T01:03:59Z2023-05-09T01:03:59ZAustralia has a National Quantum Strategy. What does that mean?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/524890/original/file-20230508-197326-ujrjbd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4080%2C2021&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/ERdTJQTtsbE">Dynamic Wang / Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Imagine a world where computers can solve complex problems in seconds, making our current devices seem like mere typewriters. These supercomputers would revolutionise industries, create new medicines, and even help combat climate change. </p>
<p>Imagine as well we could observe the workings of our own bodies in unprecedented detail, and communicate online without fear of hacking. This may be starting to <a href="https://thequantuminsider.com/2021/07/09/quantum-technology-in-science-fiction-popular-culture/">sound like a sci-fi novel</a>, but quantum technologies have the potential to make it all real.</p>
<p>Australia has just unveiled its first <a href="https://www.industry.gov.au/publications/national-quantum-strategy">National Quantum Strategy</a>. The strategy aims to make Australia “a leader of the global quantum industry” by 2030, by encouraging research, applications and commercialisation. </p>
<p>So what does that actually mean?</p>
<h2>What are quantum technologies?</h2>
<p>Quantum technologies build on the science of quantum mechanics, which studies the behaviour of subatomic particles at a microscopic scale. </p>
<p>At this level, particles behave strangely: they can exist in multiple states simultaneously (called superposition), and be “entangled” with each other. When particles are entangled, their properties are linked together regardless of the distance between them. </p>
<p>Quantum technologies make use of these counterintuitive properties to achieve things that might otherwise be impossible. Three main areas of quantum technology are gaining the most attention: quantum sensing, quantum communications, and quantum computing.</p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-quantum-computation-and-communication-technology-7892">Explainer: quantum computation and communication technology </a>
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<p>Quantum sensing can detect tiny changes in the environment, measuring things like gravity, magnetic fields and temperature with incredible accuracy. This technology could have a huge impact on industries like healthcare, mining and navigation. </p>
<p>For instance, quantum sensors may be able to help us <a href="https://phys.org/news/2020-11-quantum-nanodiamonds-disease-earlier.html">detect early signs of diseases in our bodies</a> and <a href="https://www.australianmining.com.au/breakthrough-technologies-for-mineral-exploration-fetch-billions/">locate valuable minerals hidden deep underground</a>.</p>
<p>Unlike traditional computers, which store and process information using bits (zeroes and ones), quantum computers use “qubits”, which can exist as zeroes, ones, or combinations of both at once. </p>
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<img alt="A photo of the brass coils and circuitry of a quantum computer." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/524999/original/file-20230508-195023-bjjc4v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/524999/original/file-20230508-195023-bjjc4v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524999/original/file-20230508-195023-bjjc4v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524999/original/file-20230508-195023-bjjc4v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524999/original/file-20230508-195023-bjjc4v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524999/original/file-20230508-195023-bjjc4v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/524999/original/file-20230508-195023-bjjc4v.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Quantum computers may be able to crack problems that are currently impossible to solve.</span>
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<p>Fully functioning quantum computers don’t exist yet – but scientists believe they will be able to perform certain kinds of calculations at lightning speed, solving <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2021-08-14/australian-research-puts-larger-quantum-computers-within-reach/100371544">some problems</a> that would take today’s computers millions of years to crack. This would have <a href="https://hbr.org/2021/07/quantum-computing-is-coming-what-can-it-do">huge implications</a> for fields including cryptography, AI, drug discovery, and climate modelling.</p>
<p>Researchers are also working on <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2253448-secure-quantum-communications-network-is-the-largest-of-its-kind/">super-secure quantum communication networks</a> that are almost impossible to hack or eavesdrop on. On networks like these, attempts to intercept messages would be <a href="https://www.bcg.com/publications/2023/are-you-ready-for-quantum-communications">instantly detectable</a> to the sender and the receiver.</p>
<h2>The quantum race</h2>
<p>Australia’s National Quantum Strategy sees us join other countries and regions, racing to unlock the potential of quantum technology and dominate the market. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2020/10/05/what-the-us-investment-in-quantum-computing-means-for-security/">The United States</a>, <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg25233652-000-2021-in-review-jian-wei-pan-leads-chinas-quantum-computing-successes/">China</a>, and <a href="https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/quantum-technologies-flagship">Europe</a> are investing billions of dollars in quantum research and development. </p>
<p>If Australia wants to keep up, it needs to act now. But why is keeping up so important?</p>
<p>First, we don’t want to be left behind in the rapidly growing quantum technology industry. <a href="https://www.innovationaus.com/australias-quantum-opportunity-upgraded-to-6-billion/">According to CSIRO projections</a>, the quantum industry could be worth A$4.6 billion by the end of the decade. By 2045, it might employ as many people as the oil and gas sector does today, with revenues of $6 billion and 19,400 direct jobs.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/better-ai-unhackable-communication-spotting-submarines-the-quantum-tech-arms-race-is-heating-up-179482">Better AI, unhackable communication, spotting submarines: the quantum tech arms race is heating up</a>
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<p>As other nations push forward, Australia risks missing out on the potential economic benefits. We could also lose talented workers to countries that are investing more in quantum research. Projects like the ambitious attempt to <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-sets-ambitious-goal-to-build-first-complete-quantum-computer-20230502-p5d51r.html">build the world’s first complete quantum computer</a> aim to provide local opportunities and funding alongside their top-line goals.</p>
<p>Moreover, Australia has a responsibility to ensure quantum technologies are developed and used ethically, and their <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/09/organizations-protect-quantum-computing-threat-cybersecurity/">risks</a> managed.</p>
<p>For example, quantum computers could enable hackers to <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/insights/topics/cyber-risk/quantum-computing-ethics-risks.html">break existing encryption protocols</a>, leaving internet services vulnerable. Data harvesting by companies is already a concern, and quantum computing could exacerbate this issue. Even <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/public-sector/the-impact-of-quantum-technology-on-national-security.html">national security could be jeopardised</a> by quantum decryption.</p>
<h2>Responsible innovation</h2>
<p>To make the most of the power of quantum technology, we need to be proactive, focus on the public good, and think about it from many perspectives to ensure “<a href="https://research.csiro.au/ri/">responsible innovation</a>”.</p>
<p>Collaboration and broad dialogue will be necessary. Conversations between experts in fields like quantum computing, cybersecurity, ethics and social sciences – perhaps via regular conferences or workshops – will help us tackle the technical and ethical risks.</p>
<p>Engaging with society and focusing on the public good will also be essential. The public must be involved in discussions to ensure new quantum technologies benefit everyone, not just businesses. Town hall meetings, public forums or online chats can help scientists, policymakers and citizens share views.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-second-quantum-revolution-is-almost-here-we-need-to-make-sure-it-benefits-the-many-not-the-few-161878">The 'second quantum revolution' is almost here. We need to make sure it benefits the many, not the few</a>
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<p>And we must make sure that “responsibility” always sits right alongside “innovation” in quantum technologies. Organisations working on quantum tech could have “responsible quantum committees” to address risks and involve stakeholders, ensuring responsible innovation in quantum technology.</p>
<p>Success in quantum technology will be all about striking the right balance: encouraging both innovation and responsibility. By investing in quantum technology and working together to ensure its responsible development, Australia can continue to be a leader in scientific innovation while benefiting from these emerging technologies’ transformative potential. </p>
<p>Australia’s National Quantum Strategy is a step in this direction.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205232/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jarryd Daymond is an associate researcher on a project funded by the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Targeted Translation Research Accelerator (TTRA). </span></em></p>Countries around the world are racing to develop quantum technologies for computing, sensing and communication. Australia is trying not to get left behind.Jarryd Daymond, Lecturer, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1896742022-10-31T18:35:43Z2022-10-31T18:35:43ZWhat quantum technology means for Canada’s future<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492191/original/file-20221027-23824-csb3yk.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C23%2C3970%2C2622&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A look inside the quantum computing process. Quantum technology is a $142 billion opportunity that could employ 229,000 Canadians by 2040.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Photonic)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Canada is a world leader in developing quantum technologies and is well-positioned to secure its place in the emerging quantum industry. </p>
<p><a href="https://qt.eu/discover-quantum/quantum-technologies-in-a-nutshell/">Quantum technologies</a> are new and emerging technologies based on the unique properties of <a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/david-morin/files/waves_quantum.pdf">quantum mechanics</a> — the science that deals with the physical properties of nature on an atomic and subatomic level.</p>
<p>In the future, we’ll see quantum technology transforming computing, communications, cryptography and much more. They will be incredibly powerful, offering capabilities that reach beyond today’s technologies. </p>
<p>The potential impact of these technologies on the Canadian economy will be transformative: the <a href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/august-2021/how-to-ensure-canadas-quantum-computing-strategy-is-a-success/">National Research Council of Canada</a> has identified quantum technology as a $142 billion opportunity that could employ 229,000 Canadians by 2040.</p>
<p>Canada could gain far-reaching economic and social benefits from the rapidly developing quantum industry, but it must act now to secure them — before someone else delivers the first large-scale quantum computer, which will likely be sooner than expected.</p>
<h2>Quantum technology is the future</h2>
<p>Quantum computing is a <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-the-future-everyone-might-use-quantum-computers-112063">rapidly-developing type of quantum technology</a> that combines concepts from quantum physics with classical computation. The result is quantum computers, which can accomplish tasks that classical computers can’t.</p>
<p>While quantum computers will be revolutionary, they will also introduce new problems by breaking the public key cryptography that secures today’s internet and corporate networks. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nature23461">Public key cryptography</a> is a method of encrypting data with pairs of keys. Anyone with a public key can encrypt a message, but only those holding the matching private key can decrypt it. </p>
<p>The keys are generated by computers running complex mathematical problems that can’t be broken by today’s most powerful computers, but can be broken by quantum computers. Data intercepted and stored today <a href="https://www.factbasedinsight.com/quantum-crypto-trust-me-ive-come-to-save-the-world">is already vulnerable to this future threat</a>. </p>
<p>This presents an opportunity for Canada to invest in new technologies to secure communications, starting with “post-quantum” encryption algorithms, then layering on
<a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchsecurity/definition/quantum-key-distribution-QKD">quantum key distribution</a>, a type of provably secure quantum encryption based on quantum mechanics. </p>
<p>To use quantum key distribution over vast distances, we’ll need to develop <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/abfa63">satellite-based quantum repeaters</a> that function similarly to repeaters in today’s telecommunications fibre networks. They allow quantum signal transmission over long distances. <a href="https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/satellites/qeyssat.asp">Canadian researchers are well on their way to developing them</a>.</p>
<p>Unless we defend our cybersecurity infrastructure now, the advent of a quantum computer could be the information-security equivalent of the nuclear bomb: almost no information or computing systems would be secure against a future quantum attack. Canada needs to seize the opportunity to lead the world in building, deploying and exporting technology to enable the global quantum internet and protect itself.</p>
<h2>Preparing for the future</h2>
<p>Truly predicting the impact of <a href="https://hbr.org/2021/07/quantum-computing-is-coming-what-can-it-do">large-scale quantum computers</a> is as hard as predicting the changes that followed the commercialization of semiconductor physics. </p>
<p>When the crown jewel of semiconductor microchip technology — transistors — were first commercialized, they were expected to be most helpful in the development of hearing aids. They drove a <a href="https://www.semiconductors.org/semiconductors-101/what-is-a-semiconductor/">computation and communications revolution</a>; <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/bespoke/made-on-earth/how-the-chip-changed-everything/">today we find the physics of semiconductors inside everything</a> from laptops and phones to cars and medical devices.</p>
<p>Once large-scale quantum physics is commercialized, it will similarly impact almost every field, industry and aspect of our lives. Scientists and engineers will be able to solve all sorts of problems with quantum computers, including simulating and designing drug targets, making better batteries and <a href="https://www.bcg.com/publications/2020/quantum-advantage-fighting-climate-change">creating more efficient ways to produce green hydrogen and synthetic gas</a>.</p>
<h2>Maintaining the lead</h2>
<p>To maintain its leadership, Canada needs to move beyond research and development and accelerate a quantum ecosystem that includes a strong talent pipeline, businesses supported by supply chains and governments and industry involvement. There are a few things Canada can do to drive this leadership: </p>
<p><strong>Continue to fund quantum research:</strong> Canada has <a href="https://www.univcan.ca/media-room/media-releases/how-canadian-universities-are-propelling-us-towards-a-quantum-future/">more than a dozen quantum research institutes and labs</a>, including my <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/physics/siliconquantum/">Silicon Quantum Technologies Lab</a> at Simon Fraser University. The Canadian government has invested more than $1 billion since 2005 in quantum research and will likely announce a national quantum strategy soon. Canada must continue funding quantum research or risk losing its talent base and current competitive advantage.</p>
<p><strong>Build our talent pipeline with more open immigration</strong>: Even though quantum experts are trained in every major university in Canada, the demand for them is <a href="https://thebusinesscouncil.ca/publication/closing-the-quantum-computing-skills-gap-could-make-all-the-difference-in-tackling-climate-change/">three times the number of new graduates</a>. Canada needs the kind of <a href="https://www.ictc-ctic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ICTC_IEP_SA_National_EN_03-12.pdf">fast-track immigration programs that fuelled the telecom boom in the 1990s</a>.</p>
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<img alt="Someone wearing a mask and protective goggles holding a computer microchip in front of their face" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492194/original/file-20221027-24414-egb33q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/492194/original/file-20221027-24414-egb33q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492194/original/file-20221027-24414-egb33q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492194/original/file-20221027-24414-egb33q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492194/original/file-20221027-24414-egb33q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492194/original/file-20221027-24414-egb33q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/492194/original/file-20221027-24414-egb33q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Transistors are one of the building blocks of modern electronic technology, including computer chips.</span>
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<p><strong>Be our own best customers</strong>: Canadian companies are leading the way, but they need support. <a href="https://www.quantumindustrycanada.ca/">Quantum Industry Canada</a> boasts of more than 30 member companies. Vancouver is home to <a href="https://www.dwavesys.com/company/about-d-wave/">the pioneering D-Wave</a> and <a href="https://photonic.com/about-photonic/">Photonic Inc.</a>, the company I founded to commercialize silicon quantum technologies. More than <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/%7E/media/mckinsey/featured%20insights/the%20rise%20of%20quantum%20computing/quantum%20technology%20monitor/2021/mckinsey-quantum-technology-monitor-202109.pdf">$650 million was invested in Canadian startups between 2001 and 2021</a>. On a per capita basis, this is far beyond the $2.1 billion invested in U.S. companies over the same period.</p>
<p>What early quantum companies need most is customers: early, major procurement contracts, or <a href="https://www.darpa.mil/about-us/what-darpa-does">DARPA-like moonshot contracts</a>. Without these contracts, the entire Canadian quantum industry will slip away into other jurisdictions that focus investment and procurement on domestic bidders, like what is happening in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1088/2058-9565/ab042d">the European Union</a> and <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/05/04/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-two-presidential-directives-advancing-quantum-technologies/">the U.S.</a></p>
<h2>Learning from the past</h2>
<p>Canada has an opportunity to break out of its pattern of inventing transformative technology, but not reaping the rewards. This is what happened with the invention of the transistor.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://hackaday.com/2018/12/11/julius-lilienfeld-and-the-first-transistor/">first transistor patent was actually filed in Canada</a> by Canadian-Hungarian physicist Julius Edgar Lilienfeld, 20 years before the Bell Labs demonstration. Canada was also one of the places where <a href="https://www.bce.ca/about-bce/history/timeline">Alexander Graham Bell</a> worked to develop and patent the telephone. </p>
<p>Despite this, the transistor was commercialized in the U.S. and led to the country’s <a href="https://www.ibisworld.com/industry-statistics/market-size/semiconductor-circuit-manufacturing-united-states">US$63 billion semiconductor industry</a>. Bell commercialized the telephone through <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/02/12/technology/att-history.html">The Bell Telephone Company, which eventually became AT&T</a>.</p>
<p>Canada is poised to make even greater contributions to quantum technology. Much existing technology has been invented here in Canada — including quantum cryptography, <a href="https://sciencebusiness.net/news/canada-lays-groundwork-become-powerhouse-quantum-technology">which was co-invented by University of Montreal professor Gilles Brassard</a>. Instead of repeating its past mistakes, Canada should act now to secure the success of the quantum technology industry.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/189674/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephanie Simmons is the founder and Chief Quantum Officer at Photonic Inc. She is an Associate Professor, Canada Research Chair, and CIFAR Fellow, based out of the Department of Physics at Simon Fraser University (SFU). </span></em></p>Canada is well positioned to gain far-reaching economic and social benefits from the rapidly developing quantum industry, but it must act now to secure its success.Stephanie Simmons, Associate Professor, SFU and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Silicon Quantum Technologies, Simon Fraser UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1659562021-08-13T22:17:02Z2021-08-13T22:17:02ZHow a simple crystal could help pave the way to full-scale quantum computing<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415984/original/file-20210813-27-1uv81jl.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C25%2C3360%2C2208&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Serwan Asaad/UNSW</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Vaccine and drug development, artificial intelligence, transport and logistics, climate science — these are all areas that stand to be transformed by the development of a full-scale quantum computer. And there has been <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/psiquantum-raises-450-million-to-build-its-quantum-computer-11627387321">explosive growth</a> in quantum computing <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/moorinsights/2021/03/23/ionq-takes-quantum-computing-public-with-a-2-billion-deal/?sh=271072285d06">investment</a> over the past decade.</p>
<p>Yet current quantum processors are relatively small in scale, with fewer than 100 <em>qubits</em> — the basic building blocks of a quantum computer. Bits are the smallest unit of information in computing, and the term qubits stems from “quantum bits”.</p>
<p>While early quantum processors have been crucial for demonstrating the potential of quantum computing, realising globally significant applications will likely require processors with <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/114/29/7555">upwards of a million qubits</a>.</p>
<p>Our new research tackles a core problem at the heart of scaling up quantum computers: how do we go from controlling just a few qubits, to controlling millions? In research <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abg9158">published today</a> in Science Advances, we reveal a new technology that may offer a solution.</p>
<h2>What exactly is a quantum computer?</h2>
<p>Quantum computers use qubits to hold and process quantum information. Unlike the bits of information in classical computers, qubits make use of the quantum properties of nature, known as “superposition” and “entanglement”, to perform some calculations much faster than their classical counterparts.</p>
<p>Unlike a classical bit, which is represented by either 0 or 1, a qubit can exist in <em>two</em> states (that is, 0 and 1) at the same time. This is what we refer to as a superposition state.</p>
<p>Demonstrations by <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1666-5">Google</a> and <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/370/6523/1460">others</a> have shown even current, early-stage quantum computers can outperform the most powerful supercomputers on the planet for a highly specialised (albeit not particularly useful) task — reaching a milestone we call quantum supremacy.</p>
<p>Google’s quantum computer, built from superconducting electrical circuits, had just 53 qubits and was cooled to a temperature close to -273°C in a high-tech refrigerator. This extreme temperature is needed to remove heat, which can introduce errors to the fragile qubits. While such demonstrations are important, the challenge now is to build quantum processors with many more qubits.</p>
<p>Major efforts are underway at UNSW Sydney to make quantum computers from the same material used in everyday computer chips: silicon. A conventional silicon chip is thumbnail-sized and packs in several billion bits, so the prospect of using this technology to build a quantum computer is compelling.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/quantum-computers-could-arrive-sooner-if-we-build-them-with-traditional-silicon-technology-123115">Quantum computers could arrive sooner if we build them with traditional silicon technology</a>
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<h2>The control problem</h2>
<p>In silicon quantum processors, information is stored in individual electrons, which are trapped beneath small electrodes at the chip’s surface. Specifically, the qubit is coded into the electron’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spin_(physics)">spin</a>. It can be pictured as a small compass inside the electron. The needle of the compass can point north or south, which represents the 0 and 1 states. </p>
<p>To set a qubit in a superposition state (both 0 <em>and</em> 1), an operation that occurs in all quantum computations, a control signal must be directed to the desired qubit. For qubits in silicon, this control signal is in the form of a microwave field, much like the ones used to carry phone calls over a 5G network. The microwaves interact with the electron and cause its spin (compass needle) to rotate.</p>
<p>Currently, each qubit requires its own microwave control field. It is delivered to the quantum chip through a cable running from room temperature down to the bottom of the refrigerator at close to -273°C. Each cable brings heat with it, which must be removed before it reaches the quantum processor.</p>
<p>At around 50 qubits, which is state-of-the-art today, this is difficult but manageable. Current refrigerator technology can cope with the cable heat load. However, it represents a huge hurdle if we’re to use systems with a million qubits or more.</p>
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<h2>The solution is ‘global’ control</h2>
<p>An elegant solution to the challenge of how to deliver control signals to millions of spin qubits was <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/30156">proposed in the late 1990s</a>. The idea of “global control” was simple: broadcast a single microwave control field across the entire quantum processor. </p>
<p>Voltage pulses can be applied locally to qubit electrodes to make the individual qubits interact with the global field (and produce superposition states).</p>
<p>It’s much easier to generate such voltage pulses on-chip than it is to generate multiple microwave fields. The solution requires only a single control cable and removes obtrusive on-chip microwave control circuitry. </p>
<p>For more than two decades global control in quantum computers remained an idea. Researchers could not devise a suitable technology that could be integrated with a quantum chip and generate microwave fields at suitably low powers.</p>
<p>In our work we show that a component known as a dielectric resonator could finally allow this. The dielectric resonator is a small, transparent crystal which traps microwaves for a short period of time. </p>
<p>The trapping of microwaves, a phenomenon known as resonance, allows them to interact with the spin qubits longer and greatly reduces the power of microwaves needed to generate the control field. This was vital to operating the technology inside the refrigerator.</p>
<p>In our experiment, we used the dielectric resonator to generate a control field over an area that could contain up to four million qubits. The quantum chip used in this demonstration was a device with two qubits. We were able to show the microwaves produced by the crystal could flip the spin state of each one.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415815/original/file-20210812-26-1twkkg8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415815/original/file-20210812-26-1twkkg8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415815/original/file-20210812-26-1twkkg8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415815/original/file-20210812-26-1twkkg8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415815/original/file-20210812-26-1twkkg8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415815/original/file-20210812-26-1twkkg8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/415815/original/file-20210812-26-1twkkg8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Illustration of a crystal dielectric resonator producing a global control field in a spin quantum processor.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Tony Melov</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The path to a full-scale quantum computer</h2>
<p>There is still work to be done before this technology is up to the task of controlling a million qubits. For our study, we managed to flip the state of the qubits, but not yet produce arbitrary superposition states. </p>
<p>Experiments are ongoing to demonstrate this critical capability. We’ll also need to further study the impact of the dielectric resonator on other aspects of the quantum processor.</p>
<p>That said, we believe these engineering challenges will ultimately be surmountable — clearing one of the greatest hurdles to realising a large-scale spin-based quantum computer.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/error-correcting-the-things-that-go-wrong-at-the-quantum-computing-scale-84846">Error correcting the things that go wrong at the quantum computing scale</a>
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</em>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/165956/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jarryd Pla receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is also an inventor on patents related to quantum computing.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Dzurak receives research funding from the Australian Research Council and the US Army Research Office. He is a member of the Executive Board of the Sydney Quantum Academy and a member of the Executive of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology. He is also an inventor on a number of patents related to quantum computing.</span></em></p>So far researchers have only been able to control a handful of qubits — the basic units of information in a quantum computer. A new approach could help them control millions at a time.Jarryd Pla, Senior Lecturer in Quantum Engineering, UNSW SydneyAndrew Dzurak, Scientia Professor in Quantum Engineering, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1451392020-09-02T21:09:28Z2020-09-02T21:09:28ZOur quantum internet breakthrough could help make hacking a thing of the past<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356048/original/file-20200902-20-1d4vw1b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/serious-caucasian-programmer-casual-wears-using-1771878971">Videoflow/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The advent of mass working from home has made many people more aware of the security risks of sending sensitive information via the internet. The best we can do at the moment is make it difficult to intercept and hack your messages – but we can’t make it impossible.</p>
<p>What we need is a new type of internet: the <a href="https://theconversation.com/quantum-internet-the-next-global-network-is-already-being-laid-131355">quantum internet</a>. In this version of the global network, data is secure, connections are private and your worries about information being intercepted are a thing of the past. </p>
<p>My colleagues and I have just made a breakthrough, <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/lookup/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aba0959">published in Science Advances</a>, that will make such a quantum internet possible by scaling up the concepts behind it using existing telecommunications infrastructure.</p>
<p>Our current way of protecting online data is to encrypt it using <a href="https://theconversation.com/encryption-today-how-safe-is-it-really-37806">mathematical problems</a> that are easy to solve if you have a digital “key” to unlock the encryption but hard to solve without it. However, hard does not mean impossible and, with enough time and computer power, today’s methods of encryption can be broken.</p>
<p>Quantum communication, on the other hand, creates keys using individual particles of light (photons) , which – according to the principles of quantum physics – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038%252F299802a0">are impossible</a> to make an exact copy of. Any attempt to copy these keys will unavoidably cause errors that can be detected. This means a hacker, no matter how clever or powerful they are or what kind of supercomputer they possess, cannot replicate a quantum key or read the message it encrypts.</p>
<p>This concept has already been demonstrated <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature23655/">in satellites</a> and over <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41534-019-0238-8">fibre-optic cables</a>, and used to send secure messages between <a href="https://www.nature.com/news/quantum-communications-leap-out-of-the-lab-1.15093">different countries</a>. So why are we not already using in everyday life? The problem is that it requires expensive, specialised technology that means it’s not currently scalable.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Planet Earth overlaid with network of connected lights" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356056/original/file-20200902-24-1wsgjfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/356056/original/file-20200902-24-1wsgjfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356056/original/file-20200902-24-1wsgjfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356056/original/file-20200902-24-1wsgjfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356056/original/file-20200902-24-1wsgjfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356056/original/file-20200902-24-1wsgjfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/356056/original/file-20200902-24-1wsgjfl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Quantum communication is now possible across the world but not yet scalable.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/best-internet-concept-global-business-concepts-173610971">Toria/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.19.010387">Previous quantum communication techniques</a> were like pairs of children’s walkie talkies. You need one pair of handsets for every pair of users that want to securely communicate. So if three children want to talk to each other they will need three pairs of handsets (or six walkie talkies) and each child must have two of them. If eight children want to talk to each other they would need 56 walkie talkies. </p>
<p>Obviously it’s not practical for someone to have a separate device for every person or website they want to communicate with over the internet. So we figured out a way to securely connect every user with just one device each, more similar to phones than walkie talkies.</p>
<p>Each walkie talkie handset acts as both a transmitter and a receiver in order to share the quantum keys that make communication secure. In our model, users only need a receiver because they get the photons to generate their keys from a central transmitter.</p>
<p>This is possible because of another principle of quantum physics called “entanglement”. A photon can’t be exactly copied but it can be entangled with another photon so that they both behave in the same way when measured, no matter how far apart they are – what Albert Einstein called “spooky action at a distance”. </p>
<h2>Full network</h2>
<p>When two users want to communicate, our transmitter sends them an entangled pair of photons – one particle for each user. The users’ devices then perform a series of measurements on these photons to create a shared secret quantum key. They can then encrypt their messages with this key and transfer them securely. </p>
<p>By using multiplexing, a common telecommunications technique of combining or splitting signals, we can effectively send these entangled photon pairs to multiple combinations of people at once.</p>
<p>We can also send many signals to each user in a way that they can all be simultaneously decoded. In this way we’ve effectively replaced pairs of walkie talkies with a system more similar to a video call with multiple participants, in which you can communicate with each user privately and independently as well as all at once.</p>
<p>We’ve so far tested this concept by connecting eight users across a single city. We are now working to improve the speed of our network and interconnect several such networks. Collaborators have already started using our quantum network as a test bed for several exciting applications beyond just quantum communication. </p>
<p>We also hope to develop even better quantum networks based on this technology with commercial partners in the next few years. With innovations like this, I hope to witness the beginning of the quantum internet in the next ten years.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/145139/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The research leading to this work has received funding from the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) Quantum Communications Hubs EP/M013472/1 & EP/T001011/1 and equipment procured by the QuPIC project EP/N015126/1. We acknowledge the Ministry of Science and Education (MSE) of Croatia, contract No. KK.01.1.1.01.0001. We acknowledge financial support from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) project ASAP12-85 and project SatNetQ 854022. This work was partially supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement number 675662 (QCALL) and through the Quantum Engineering Centre for Doctoral Training EP/LO15730/1.</span></em></p>New research shows how the next generation of ultra-secure communication could be possible with existing infrastructure.Siddarth Koduru Joshi, Research Fellow in Quantum Communication, University of BristolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1408032020-06-16T09:32:38Z2020-06-16T09:32:38ZChina’s quantum satellite enables first totally secure long-range messages<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342095/original/file-20200616-23261-qehbwm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/satellite-223733998">Andrey VP/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the middle of the night, invisible to anyone but special telescopes in two Chinese observatories, satellite Micius sends particles of light to Earth to establish the world’s most secure communication link. Named after the ancient Chinese philosopher also known as Mozi, Micius is the world’s first quantum communications satellite and has, for several years, been at the forefront of quantum encryption. Scientists <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2401-y">have now reported</a> using this technology to reach a major milestone: long-range secure communication you could trust even without trusting the satellite it runs through.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/chinas-quantum-satellite-could-make-data-breaches-a-thing-of-the-past-66863">Launched in 2016</a>, Micius has already produced a number of breakthroughs under its operating team led by Pan Jian-Wei, China’s <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/12/19/1571/the-man-turning-china-into-a-quantum-superpower/">“Father of Quantum”</a>. The satellite serves as the source of pairs of entangled photons, twinned light particles whose properties remain intertwined no matter how far apart they are. If you manipulate one of the photons, the other will be similarly affected at the very same moment.</p>
<p>It is this property that lies in the heart of the most secure forms of quantum cryptography, the entanglement-based quantum key distribution. If you use one of the entangled particles to create a key for encoding messages, only the person with the other particle can decode them.</p>
<p>Micius has previously produced entangled photons and delivered them to two ground stations (observatories) 1,200km apart via special telescopes. <a href="https://theconversation.com/satellite-sends-quantum-spooky-signals-to-earth-raising-hopes-of-secure-global-communications-79386">Scientists showed</a> the photons reach Earth as entangled as they were in orbit.</p>
<p>Then, in 2017, Micius was used to distribute quantum cryptographic keys to ground stations near Vienna and Beijing, enabling a secure virtual meeting between the <a href="https://physicsworld.com/a/beijing-and-vienna-have-a-quantum-conversation/">Austrian and Chinese science academies</a> – 7,400km apart. </p>
<p>None of the communication went through Micius. It only produced and distributed the encryption keys. But both ground stations had to talk to and trust Micius as part of their communication systems and use it as a relay before establishing a link with each other.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342097/original/file-20200616-23261-1aa36ch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/342097/original/file-20200616-23261-1aa36ch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342097/original/file-20200616-23261-1aa36ch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342097/original/file-20200616-23261-1aa36ch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342097/original/file-20200616-23261-1aa36ch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342097/original/file-20200616-23261-1aa36ch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/342097/original/file-20200616-23261-1aa36ch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Quantum encryption relies on entangled particles of light.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/particle-quantum-entanglement-correlation-3d-illustration-1490864351">Jurik Peter/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A new paper from Pan Jia-Wei’s lab <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2401-y">published in Nature</a> shows that Micius has again successfully brought entanglement-based quantum cryptography to its original ground stations 1,200 km apart. But this time the satellite sent simultaneous streams of entangled photons to the ground stations to establish a direct link between the two of them. </p>
<p>This gave them robust, unbreakable cryptographic protection without the need to trust the satellite. Until now, this had never been done via satellite or at such great distances. </p>
<p>Again, none of the communication went through Micius. The satellite provided entangled photons as a convenient resource for the quantum cryptography and the two ground stations then used them according to their agreed protocol. This also involved designing the machinery for distributing the keys and a mechanism for preventing malicious attacks, such as blinding the telescopes with other light signals.</p>
<p>The new paper doesn’t specify how the messages were transmitted in this instance, but in theory it could be done by optical fibre, another communications satellite, radio, or any other method they agree upon.</p>
<h2>Quantum race</h2>
<p>Secure long-distance links such as this one will be the foundation of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/quantum-internet-the-next-global-network-is-already-being-laid-131355">quantum internet</a>, the future global network with added security powered by laws of quantum mechanics, unmatched by classical cryptographic methods.</p>
<p>The launch of Micius and the records set by the scientists and engineers building quantum communication systems with its help <a href="https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/c06501/a-twenty-first-century-sputnik-moment-china%E2%80%99s-mozi-satellite.html">have been compared</a> to the effect Sputnik had on the space race in the 20th century. <a href="https://theconversation.com/high-tech-china-us-arms-race-threatens-to-destabilise-east-asia-75560">In a similar way</a>, the quantum race has political and military implications that are hard to ignore.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/08/18/quantum-revolution-is-coming-chinese-scientists-are-forefront/">Pan Jian-Wei credited</a> Edward Snowden’s <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23123964">2013 disclosures</a> of internet surveillance by western governments with prompting China to boost quantum cryptography research in order to create more secure means of communication. As a result, Micius <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23130884-600-why-quantum-satellites-will-make-it-harder-for-states-to-snoop/">has been dubbed</a> Sputnik for the ultra-paranoid. </p>
<p>Any country could theoretically trust Micius to provide entangled photons to secure its communications. But the satellite is a strategic resource that other countries are likely to want to replicate, just as Europe, Russia and China now have their own versions of the US-controlled GPS. However, the news of a successful long distance quantum communications link is a sign that we are already living in a new era of communication security.</p>
<p><em>This article has been amended to correct the time at which distribution machinery and attack prevention were developed</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/140803/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Harun Šiljak does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The Micius satellite has enabled messages with unbreakable encryption to be sent 1,200km.Harun Šiljak, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Complex Systems Science for Telecommunications, Trinity College DublinLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1313552020-02-18T12:55:59Z2020-02-18T12:55:59ZQuantum internet: the next global network is already being laid<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315929/original/file-20200218-11044-1kipupu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">shutterstock</span> </figcaption></figure><p>Google reported a remarkable breakthrough towards the end of 2019. The <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586%20019%201666%205">company claimed</a> to have achieved something called <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-are-scientists-so-excited-about-a-recently-claimed-quantum-computing-milestone-124082">quantum supremacy</a>, using a new type of “quantum” computer to perform a benchmark test in 200 seconds. This was in stark contrast to the 10,000 years that would supposedly have been needed by a state-of-the-art conventional supercomputer to complete the same test.</p>
<p>Despite <a href="https://theconversation.com/google-and-ibm-are-at-odds-over-quantum-supremacy-an-expert-explains-what-it-really-means-125827">IBM’s claim</a> that its supercomputer, with a little optimisation, could solve the task in a matter of days, Google’s announcement made it clear that we are entering a new era of incredible computational power.</p>
<p>Yet with much less fanfare, there has also been rapid progress in the development of quantum communication networks, and a master network to unite them all called the quantum internet. Just as the internet as we know it followed the development of computers, we can expect the quantum computer to be accompanied by the safer, better synchronised quantum internet.</p>
<p>Like quantum computing, quantum communication records information in what are known as qubits, similar to the way digital systems use bits and bytes. Whereas a bit can only take the value of zero or one, a qubit can also use the principles of quantum physics to take the value of zero and one at the same time. This is what allows quantum computers to perform certain computations very quickly. Instead of solving several variants of a problem one by one, the quantum computer can handle them all at the same time.</p>
<p>These qubits are central to the quantum internet because of a property called entanglement. If two entangled qubits are geographically separated (for instance, one qubit in Dublin and the other in New York), measurements of both would yield the same result. This would enable the ultimate in secret communications, a shared knowledge between two parties that cannot be discovered by a third. The resulting ability to code and decode messages would be one of the most powerful features of the quantum internet. </p>
<h2>Commercial applications</h2>
<p>There will be no shortage of commercial applications for these advanced cryptographic mechanisms. The world of finance, in particular, looks set to benefit as the quantum internet will lead to enhanced privacy for online transactions and stronger proof of the funds used in the transaction.</p>
<p>Recently, at the <a href="https://connectcentre.ie/">CONNECT Centre in Trinity College Dublin</a>, we successfully implemented an algorithm that could achieve this level of security. That this took place <a href="https://labs.ripe.net/Members/becha/results-of-the-pan-european-quantum-internet-hackathon">during a hackathon</a> – a sort of competition for computer programmers – shows that even enthusiasts without detailed knowledge of quantum physics can create some of the building blocks that will be needed for the quantum internet. This technology won’t be confined to specialist university departments, just as the original internet soon <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-internet-was-born-from-the-arpanet-to-the-internet-68072">outgrew its origins</a> as a way to connect academics around the world. </p>
<p>But how could this quantum internet be built anytime soon when we currently can only build very limited quantum computers? Well, the devices in the quantum internet don’t have to be completely quantum in nature, and the network won’t require massive quantum machines to handle the communication protocols.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315926/original/file-20200218-11011-145z3x8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315926/original/file-20200218-11011-145z3x8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315926/original/file-20200218-11011-145z3x8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315926/original/file-20200218-11011-145z3x8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315926/original/file-20200218-11011-145z3x8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315926/original/file-20200218-11011-145z3x8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315926/original/file-20200218-11011-145z3x8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Future devices wouldn’t need to be full quantum computers to connect to the quantum internet.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/innovative-technologies-science-medicine-410054164">Sergey Nivens/Shutterstocks</a></span>
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<p>One qubit here and there is all a quantum communication network needs to function. Instead of replacing the current infrastructure of optical fibres, data centres and base stations, the <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/362/6412/eaam9288.abstract">quantum internet</a> will build on top of and make maximum use of the existing, classical internet.</p>
<p>With such rapid progress being made, quantum internet technology is set to shape the business plans of telecom companies in the near future. Financial institutions are <a href="https://www.digfingroup.com/huishang/">already using</a> quantum communication networks to make inter-bank transactions safer. And <a href="https://theconversation.com/chinas-quantum-satellite-could-make-data-breaches-a-thing-of-the-past-66863">quantum communication satellites</a> are up and running as the first step to extending these networks to a global scale.</p>
<p>The pipes of the quantum internet are effectively being laid as you read this. When a big quantum computer is finally built, it can be plugged into this network and accessed on the cloud, with all the privacy guarantees of quantum cryptography.</p>
<p>What will the ordinary user notice when the enhanced cryptography of the quantum internet becomes available? Very little, in all likelihood. Cryptography is like waste management: if everything works well, the customer doesn’t even notice.</p>
<p>In the constant race of the codemakers and codebreakers, the quantum internet won’t just prevent the codebreakers taking the lead. It will move the race track into another world altogether, with a significant head start for the codemakers. With data becoming the currency of our times, the quantum internet will provide stronger security for a new valuable commodity.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/131355/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Harun Šiljak works for CONNECT, Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Future Networks and Communications.</span></em></p>Quantum communication is needed to make the internet much more secure.Harun Šiljak, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Complex Systems Science for Telecommunications, Trinity College DublinLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.