A team of Northwestern University Engineers has reached a historic milestone by achieving the quantum teleportation using fiber optic cables that already carry Internet traffic. This advance, published in the journal Optica, could transform quantum communications by integrating this technology with existing infrastructure.
Quantum teleportation allows transfer information between distant points without the need for direct transmission, taking advantage of the phenomenon of quantum entanglement. In this process, two entangled particles share information instantly, regardless of the distance between them. Until now, it was believed impossible for this technology to work in cables saturated by classical signals due to the sensitivity of quantum photons.
The team led by Prem Kumar found an innovative solution: Identify less congested wavelengths of light and add filters to minimize noise generated by Internet traffic. To test the method, they installed a 30-kilometer fiber optic cable, simultaneously transmitting quantum information and high-speed traffic. The results confirmed that the quantum information arrived intact, marking a revolutionary advance.
“Although many have studied the coexistence of classical and quantum communications, this is the first demonstration of quantum teleportation in a real traffic environment,” explained Jordan Thomas, lead author of the study.
This achievement opens the door to advanced applications, such as secure and efficient quantum networkswithout the need to build new infrastructure. The researchers plan to extend their experiments to greater distances and test their method on real underground cables.
“Quantum teleportation has the potential to securely connect geographically distant nodes, coexisting with classical communications in a single network,” Kumar said. This advance promises to accelerate the development of quantum technology towards practical applications that will transform telecommunications and computing.
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