Harvard physicists have developed the longest secure quantum network, spanning 22 miles using existing fiber-optic cables.
Using 22 miles of fiber-optic cables that are already in existence, physicists at Harvard University have constructed what they believe to be the longest secure quantum network in the world.
Quantum Network Undergoes Testing
The experiment, which was published in the peer-reviewed scientific magazine Nature, utilized a peculiar physical phenomenon known as “entanglement” to establish a connection between two functional quantum computer nodes at the same time.
Because of this, they were able to exchange data over a distance of 22 miles in a manner that, according to the rules of physics, is impossible to hack.
In preparation for “Q Day,” a potential moment in the not-too-distant future when malicious actors will have access to quantum network on computers powerful enough to shred existing encryption systems, the world is currently engaged in a technical race to strengthen global computer security.
This race is taking place in anticipation of “Q Day.”It is currently not possible to find a functional replacement for data transmission, despite the fact that significant organizations such as banks, military facilities, and the healthcare industry have already begun developing protocols to secure data.
No matter how thoroughly the data is encrypted, there is always the possibility that it will be intercepted without the sender’s knowledge whenever it is being transmitted.
Due to the nature of handling quantum data, quantum computers and quantum networking have the ability to eliminate this risk. Within a quantum system, it is impossible to replicate data.
All of this is due to the fact that quantum data is exceedingly fragile. Even the smallest variation, such as a simple scientific measurement can alter the data, making it useless.
It is not possible to transport quantum data from one node to another in the conventional sense since quantum data cannot be copied for any reason.
On the other hand, both nodes must “entangle” the data. Scientists use diamonds with a specific type of fault at their “hearts” to achieve this. This flaw allows scientists to take advantage of a vacuum space to entangle quantum information for their research.
To put it another way, quantum physics allows data to be teleported, but it does not allow data to be transmitted. Because of this, the most significant concern is not that malicious actors will construct quantum systems in order to intercept data.
It is possible that it will be decades before even the most well-funded adversarial organizations have access to quantum systems.
Instead, the worry lies in the potential theft of legacy data, encrypted with nonquantum protections, from current systems and transmissions and its subsequent storage for decryption once malicious actors find a means to access a contemporary quantum computer system.
Meanwhile, the current construction of experimental quantum network systems could potentially serve as the primary medium for the distribution of sensitive data in the future.
Institutions could store data in well-protected data centers and only “send” it to other institutions or stakeholders via quantum entanglement, where there is absolutely no chance of hacking whatsoever.
This would be an alternative to, for instance, sending information about financial transactions through the typical banking “wires” or legacy networks.
A paradigm that inexorably restricts access to nodes intimately connected to one another could throw the concept of “owning” data into disarray, potentially having significant repercussions for the community of decentralized banking.
This approach could potentially safeguard digital assets like cryptocurrencies against all network-based attacks.