Quantum Teleportation Achieved Using Existing Internet Cables

2024-12-21 wireless

Evanston, Saturday, 21 December 2024.
Northwestern University engineers have demonstrated quantum teleportation over fiber optic cables, marking a significant step in integrating quantum communication with current infrastructure for enhanced security.

Breakthrough Details

On December 19, 2024, researchers at Northwestern University achieved what many thought impossible - successful quantum teleportation over existing fiber optic cables carrying regular internet traffic [1][4]. Led by Professor Prem Kumar, the team demonstrated this groundbreaking capability over a 30-kilometer fiber optic cable [2][4]. The achievement represents a crucial step toward implementing quantum communication without requiring specialized infrastructure, as Kumar noted: “This is incredibly exciting because nobody thought it was possible” [1][2].

Technical Implementation

The breakthrough relies on quantum entanglement, allowing information exchange without physical transmission between particles [2][4]. The team identified specific wavelengths that enabled quantum teleportation to coexist with classical internet traffic without interference [1]. This demonstration achieved high fidelity transmission, with the quantum state successfully transferred between photons at opposite ends of the cable [4]. As PhD candidate Jordan Thomas explained: “The photon itself does not have to be sent over long distances, but its state still ends up encoded onto the distant photon” [1].

Global Context and Recent Advances

This achievement builds upon previous quantum teleportation milestones, including Dr. Jian-Wei Pan’s team’s 2022 demonstration of quantum teleportation over 1,200 kilometers using satellite-based links [3]. The timing is particularly significant as 2025 has been designated by the UN as the International Year of Quantum Technology [2]. Just one day after Northwestern’s announcement, on December 20, 2024, another team demonstrated deterministic teleportation of quantum states between superconducting chips, achieving a process fidelity of 70.2% ± 0.6% [5].

Future Implications

The successful integration of quantum teleportation with existing infrastructure opens new possibilities for secure communication networks [1][2]. The research team plans to extend their experiments over longer distances and explore real-world applications using underground cables [1][4]. This development aligns with broader quantum initiatives, including the U.S. National Quantum Initiative’s $1 billion investment in quantum research [3]. As Professor Jim Al-Khalili noted: “Being able to make use of quantum teleportation in our existing infrastructure of optical fibre networks would be a huge breakthrough” [2].

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