Quantum teleportation milestone: Particle sent 18 miles online
Is teleportation possible? For scientists from Northwestern University, it certainly is. Researchers have made a breakthrough by transporting a particle over 18 miles of public internet infrastructure. What does this mean for modern science?
Scientists from the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University have achieved a breakthrough in the field of quantum teleportation. According to research published in the journal "Optica," for the first time in history, a particle was successfully transmitted over 18 miles of public internet infrastructure.
Quantum teleportation through the internet
Quantum teleportation is a phenomenon within quantum physics. It involves transferring a quantum state from one particle to another, even over vast distances. Contrary to the common understanding of teleportation, it does not involve the physical movement of matter but rather the transmission of information about the particle's state through quantum entanglement. Two particles are brought into an entangled state, meaning a change in the state of one immediately affects the state of the other. This process allows the "transfer" of the state of particle A to particle B, even though particle A remains in its place.
This process requires a classical communication channel and does not violate the speed of light constraint, yet it demonstrates how extraordinary the laws governing the quantum world are. Previous attempts required dedicated channels such as fiber optics. This time, it was achieved through existing internet channels, which marks a significant advancement.
New possibilities for the quantum internet
The quantum internet represents the communication network of the future, based on the principles of quantum mechanics. Unlike the traditional internet, where data is encoded in bits that take values of 0 or 1, the quantum internet uses qubits, which can exist in a superposition of both states simultaneously. This allows for the creation of secure connections that are immune to eavesdropping, as any attempt to intercept information disturbs the quantum state and is immediately detected.
This groundbreaking achievement opens doors to a future where the quantum internet can coexist with current data systems, eliminating the need to build entirely new data transmission systems. According to the portal Popular Mechanics, this discovery could accelerate the development of quantum technologies, such as cryptography and artificial intelligence.
How did they succeed?
The success of the experiment was influenced by minimizing interference that could affect the quantum signal. A key aspect of quantum teleportation was found to be the appropriate conditions for photon emission, allowing it to maintain coherence among other data transmitted over the internet.
Like the current internet, the quantum internet will rely on a network of distributed nodes and transmission systems. Thanks to this discovery, there will be no need to create new infrastructures, which will expedite the implementation of this technology.
