{"id":51299,"date":"2025-06-22T13:00:11","date_gmt":"2025-06-22T07:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=51299"},"modified":"2025-06-23T17:46:35","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T12:16:35","slug":"indias-quantum-leap-iit-delhi-achieve-secure-1-km-free-space-quantum-communication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/indias-quantum-leap-iit-delhi-achieve-secure-1-km-free-space-quantum-communication\/","title":{"rendered":"India&#8217;s Quantum Leap: IIT-Delhi Achieve Secure 1 km Free-Space Quantum Communication"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Quantum Communication Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, the Ministry of Defence announced that IIT-Delhi and DRDO scientists successfully demonstrated quantum communication over a distance of more than 1 km in free space, marking a major breakthrough in quantum cybersecurity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Understanding Quantum Communication<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>About Quantum Communication<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quantum communication uses principles of quantum physics\u2014especially quantum entanglement\u2014to create highly secure communication channels.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It ensures that any attempt to intercept the communication is immediately detected.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>The Role of Quantum Entanglement<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">where two particles become so closely linked that a change in one instantly affects the other, regardless of the distance between them<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When two photons are entangled, measuring one instantly determines the state of the other, regardless of distance.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This makes quantum communication highly resistant to eavesdropping.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Applications in Defence<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to its leak-proof nature, quantum communication is especially valuable in military and national security settings.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Key Method: Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">QKD is a major technique within quantum communication that enables two parties to share encryption keys securely, with any interception attempts being detectable.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Working of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Purpose of QKD<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">QKD enables two parties to securely share a secret encryption key.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This key is later used to encrypt and decrypt messages using traditional algorithms (e.g., AES).<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>QKD Is Not Encryption<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">QKD does not encrypt the message itself.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It only ensures that both parties receive an identical key in a way that cannot be intercepted without detection.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just like a letterbox is publicly known but accessible only with a private key, QKD ensures that while the communication channel is known, the key remains private and secure between the sender and receiver.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Types of QKD<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Prepare-and-Measure QKD<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One person prepares photons in specific quantum states and sends them to another, who measures them to establish a key.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Entanglement-Based QKD<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A source produces entangled photon pairs\u2014one sent to the first person, the other to the second person.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The correlated measurements help them derive the same key securely.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Security Advantage<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any attempt to intercept the photons in transit disturbs their quantum state, immediately alerting the parties and ensuring tamper detection.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>IIT-Delhi\u2019s Quantum Communication Achievement<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Latest Breakthrough: 1 km Free-Space QKD<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The IIT-Delhi team successfully demonstrated entanglement-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) over 1 km through open air on the IIT campus.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This marks progress beyond fibre-based transmission.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The photons travel through open air, not through cables or fibres.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is useful for communicating over long distances, even between buildings or from the ground to satellites.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Towards Satellite-Based QKD<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The experiment aims to lay the groundwork for ground-to-satellite QKD, where satellites could beam encryption keys securely to any location across India via atmospheric transmission.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Performance Metrics<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Secure key rate: ~240 bits per second<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quantum bit error rate (QBER): Less than 7%<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This low error rate is acceptable and shows the system\u2019s viability despite challenges like air turbulence, detector noise, and ambient light.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>How It Works<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Entangled photons were sent to two receivers.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When both receivers measured their respective photons, results matched over 93% of the time\u2014validating entanglement and secure key distribution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Past Milestones by IIT-Delhi Team<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2022: Quantum link between Vindhyachal and Prayagraj<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2023: 380 km QKD using telecom fibre (QBER: 1.48%)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2024: QKD over 100+ km optical fibre link<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These progressive steps showcase India\u2019s growing capability in quantum-secure communication infrastructure.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>What Lies Ahead for Quantum Communication in India<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Building a Quantum Communication Network<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next step is to establish a multi-node quantum network, enabling secure communication across various locations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India aims to join global leaders like China, which already has a 4,600 km hybrid quantum network combining satellite and optical links.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Civilian Applications<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quantum communication also holds promise for banking, telecom, and data security\u2014where ultra-secure channels are vital to protect sensitive information.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Towards a Quantum Internet<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A future quantum internet could revolutionise:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Distributed quantum computing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Precision sensing<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Secure time synchronisation<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Highly encrypted communication networks<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The U.S. is targeting such a network by the mid-2030s.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Government Support: National Quantum Mission<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To accelerate progress, the Indian government launched the National Quantum Mission in 2023, allocating Rs 6,000 crore for the 2023\u20132031 period to support research and infrastructure development in quantum technologies.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/science\/quantum-communication-iit-delhi-drdo-entanglement-qkd-explained\/article69705017.ece#:~:text=Quantum%20communication%20is%20an%20umbrella,a%20source%20to%20two%20stations.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2136702\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> PIB<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>IIT-Delhi and DRDO demonstrate secure quantum communication across 1 km, setting the stage for India&#8217;s quantum-secure future. Learn how it works.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":51459,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[60,900,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-51299","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-mains-articles","9":"tag-quantum-communication","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51299\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}