Northwestern Teleports Quantum States Across 18.8 Miles of Fiber as 400-Gbps Traffic Flows
Updated
Updated · vozpopuli.com · Jun 6
Northwestern Teleports Quantum States Across 18.8 Miles of Fiber as 400-Gbps Traffic Flows
3 articles · Updated · vozpopuli.com · Jun 6
Summary
Northwestern engineers sent quantum information over 18.8 miles of fiber-optic cable while the same line carried conventional internet data at 400 gigabits per second, a first for active network traffic.
The team made the link work by placing quantum photons in a quieter wavelength band and filtering out noise from classical signals, overcoming a long-standing concern that ordinary traffic would drown out fragile quantum states.
The result suggests future quantum networks could use existing fiber infrastructure instead of requiring dedicated new cables, potentially lowering deployment costs for universities, companies, data centers and governments.
Published in Optica, the study points to uses in tamper-evident communications, linking quantum computers and distributed sensing, though researchers still need longer-distance tests, entanglement swapping and more scalable hardware.
Our internet can now teleport data. What is stopping us from building a global quantum network tomorrow?
With quantum hacking threats looming, will upgrading our internet be cheaper than replacing all our current encryption?
Major Leap in Quantum Communication: Quantum Teleportation Integrated with Real-World Internet Traffic by Northwestern Researchers
Overview
Northwestern University researchers have made a major leap in quantum communication by successfully teleporting a quantum state of light, called a qubit, over an optical fiber. What makes this breakthrough remarkable is that it is the first time quantum teleportation has been achieved over a fiber optic cable that was also carrying high-speed classical data traffic, not just in isolated lab conditions. This experiment sets a new precedent for transmitting quantum information in real-world environments and is considered a significant milestone toward building practical quantum networks.