fundamental challenge in the creation of a "quantum internet" is how to securely transmit data between two points. But one team of U.S. scientists may have found the answer.
New research from experts at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) suggests atoms in small boxes of light — optical cavities — could soon "form the backbone technology" of the futuristic internet that relies on the mysterious properties of quantum mechanics for ultra-fast computing.
WiFi Signals Could Be Turned Into Usable Power to Charge Phones and LaptopsREAD MORE
Unlike computing devices like phones and laptops which store information as binary bits of zeros and ones, quantum computers use a unit of memory known as a quantum bit or qubit.
Examples of qubits include atoms, ions, photons, or electrons, and quantum systems will, at least in theory, not be limited by the rigid structures of the binary two-state system.
By operating at the atomic and subatomic levels, quantum computers are able to store information as a one and a zero simultaneously — a process called superposition — which gives the machines the ability to become significantly more powerful than any of the top supercomputers of today.
But in the future, much like our current world wide web, scientists will want to connect multiple quantum computers so they can share data. This is known as the "quantum internet."
For this to work, the network needs to be able to transmit information between two points without altering the quantum properties of the information being transmitted. The Caltech team said their new findings, published in journal Nature, could be "foundational" to that creation.