First demonstration of quantum teleportation over busy Internet cables
Northwestern University engineers are the first to successfully demonstrate quantum teleportation over a fiberoptic cable already carrying Internet traffic.
The discovery introduces the new possibility of combining quantum communication with existing Internet cables -- greatly simplifying the infrastructure required for distributed quantum sensing or computing applications.
"This is incredibly exciting because nobody thought it was possible," said Northwestern's Prem Kumar, who led the study. "Our work shows a path towards next-generation quantum and classical networks sharing a unified fiberoptic infrastructure. Basically, it opens the door to pushing quantum communications to the next level."
An expert in quantum communication, Kumar is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering, where he directs the Center for Photonic Communication and Computing.
Only limited by the speed of light, quantum teleportation could make communications nearly instantaneous. The process works by harnessing quantum entanglement, a technique in which two particles are linked, regardless of the distance between them. Instead of particles physically traveling to deliver information, entangled particles exchange information over great distances -- without physically carrying it.
