World's First Quantum Network At The Brink

When it comes to data transfer, the current communication systems use binary bits, which can hold only two values either 0 or 1. It makes the transfer vulnerable for interception. Quantum computing provides more secure communication as it's not limited to just 0s and 1s. Researchers at Max Plank Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ) have successfully developed a quantum network prototype which can connect two communicating nodes through fiber optic cable.

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In communication with binary bits, the sending nodes send the data as 0 or 1 and the receiving nodes copy it precisely i.e. either 0 or 1. Unlike the normal binary bits, quantum computing works on qubits. These qubits specify the particular orientation or spin of an atom. Now, the issue here is that qubits can’t be cloned like binary bits. We need a better and sophisticated mechanism to transfer them. The group of scientists at MPQ intends to achieve the same. In their setup they used two nodes with a single rubidium atom each trapped in a reflective optical cavity. The nodes were connected through an optic fiber cable.

The basic idea here is to transfer the state of atom through the cable. Now, when the rubidium atom releases a photon, the information about the state of atom is encoded in photon’s polarization. A standing wave of laser light works as the optical cavity. One more problem about working with atoms is that they are very sensitive about temperature. High temperature can result in unexpected results, so the temperature for the experiment was set up at 5mK, which is almost 1/5000 degree above absolute zero. Now, the researchers transmitted the photon on a 60 meter long fiber optic cable. This photon was absorbed by the second rubidium atom present at other end. This absorption sets the atom state based on photons polarization, which actually was generated from first atom. In this way, they were able to transfer the information i.e. qubits with an accuracy of 80 to 85 percent.

The experiment was only between two nodes but according to Stephan Ritter, researcher at MPQ, “Entanglement of two systems separated by a large distance is a fascinating phenomenon in itself. However, it could also serve as a resource for the teleportation of quantum information. One day, this might not only make it possible to communicate quantum information over very large distances, but might enable an entire quantum Internet.” Quantum computing is emerging very fast since past few years and I guess soon enough we will able to see a fully functional quantum computer or quantum network. You can read the detailed information #-Link-Snipped-#.

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