Quantum Communication

Quantum Communication Latest News

Recently, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement that IIT-Delhi scientists together with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) demonstrated quantum communication over a distance of more than 1 km in free space.

About Quantum Communication

• It is a way to send information using the tiniest particles in the universe, like light particles (called photons), in a super secure way.
• It is an umbrella term for any scheme that uses the concepts of quantum physics, but especially entanglement, to make a given communication channel leak-proof.      
• It can be used to create communication channels that are protected against computational attacks since any attempt to tap the quantum channel will itself be revealed. Thus they have great value in defence settings.
• If any third party intercepts one of the photons, the other photon will immediately be disturbed as well and the channel will be revealed as insecure.
• An important method in quantum communication is quantum key distribution (QKD).
• Quantum entanglement is a strange phenomenon where two tiny particles, like photons (particles of light), become linked in such a way that whatever happens to one instantly affects the other — even if they are far apart.

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Applications of Quantum Communication

• Military and government: It is used for transmitting highly sensitive information, providing secure communication channels that are immune to eavesdropping.
• Banking: Protects financial transactions from cyber-attacks by using quantum key distribution (QKD) to secure online banking and international transactions.
• Power grids: Secures communication within the power industry, safeguarding against cyber-attacks that could lead to outages or damage to the electrical grid.
• Consumer privacy: Enhances the security of personal data transmitted over the internet, such as in cloud services or when shopping online.
• Scientific collaboration: Allows secure sharing of research data between institutions, especially when dealing with proprietary or sensitive information.
• Navigation: Quantum communication could be used to enhance the security of signals in GPS systems, providing tamper-proof navigation data.

Source: TH