From Alice to Charlie – the next step for the quantum internet
Researchers in Delft have succeeded in teleporting quantum information across a rudimentary network. This first of its kind is an important step towards a future quantum internet. This breakthrough was made possible by a greatly improved quantum memory and enhanced quality of the quantum links between the three nodes of the network.
What is a quantum internet?
What is a quantum internet? And more importantly, why do we need it? Today’s internet connects computers across the globe. It helps us find facts and figures. Do home and shopping online banking. But it’s a playground for hackers. Enhancing our global network with a quantum internet will help solve this problem.
Untappable quantum cryptography becomes practical with MDI-QKD
Engineers from QuTech can provide untappable communication that is cost-scaling to many users by using measurement-device independent (MDI) quantum key distribution (QKD). A notable side-feature is that conventional internet operates in parallel, on the same optical fibre. MDI-QKD is an important step towards an accessible quantum internet.
A Multinode Quantum Network explained
The QuTech research group of Ronald Hanson, has built and demonstrated the first entanglement-based network connecting multiple quantum processors! This quantum network is composed of three independent nodes, called Alice, Bob and Charlie, based on diamond nitrogen-vacancy centres. The researchers achieved proof-of-principle demonstration of two key quantum network protocols: genuine multipartite entanglement distribution across all the nodes and any-to-any connectivity via entanglement swapping: Alice and Charlie are connected via quantum entanglement even without a direct physical link. This capability will be fundamental to build the future quantum internet!
The Quantum Inspire Journey
Quantum Inspire makes the quantum computer accessible to everyone and is the first in the world to use a quantum processor made of scalable ‘spin qubits’. The platform also provides access to a processor made of superconducting (transmon) qubits. This short animation explains the journey of the quantum algorithm in Quantum Inspire.
