China’s quantum space pioneer: We need to explore the unknown

Steven T. Corneliussen

New “space race”? Science’s collegial advance? Quantum network engineering study? Basic research venue?

Elsa B. Kania

ARTUR K. EKERT

Abstract Human desire to communicate secretly is at least as old as writing itself and goes back to the beginnings of our civilisation. Methods of secret communication were developed by many ancient societies, including those of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China, but details regarding the origins of cryptology remain unknown (Kahn 1967). We know that it was the Spartans, the most warlike of the Greeks, who pioneered military cryptography in Europe. Around 400 BC they employed a device known as a scytale. The device, used for communication between military commanders, consisted of a tapered baton around which was wrapped a spiral strip of parchment or leather containing the message. Words were then written lengthwise along the baton, one letter on each revolution of the strip. When unwrapped, the letters of the message appeared scrambled and the parchment was sent on its way. The receiver wrapped the parchment around another baton of the same shape and the original message reappeared.

Matthew Sparkes

Peiyi Wu, Jiaxin Huo

Alain Aspect, John F. Clauser and Anton Zeilinger won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2022 for "entangled photon experiment, proof of Weibull inequality and pioneering quantum information science". This paper reviews the growth experiences and scientific contributions of three Nobel Prize winners in physics, introduces the development of quantum information science in China, and then provides some thoughts on the relationship between basic scientific research and innovation of emerging industries in China.

Satish Rupraoji Billewar, Gaurav Vishnu Londhe, Sunil Ghane

History repeats itself. Quantum cryptography has started a revolution of quantum computing and has repeated the days of Einstein's research paper on “Theory of Relativity,” which changed the world's perceptions of physics completely written based on Newton's laws. Quantum cryptography is going to change the definition of computers right from scratch. The last century was witness of a space race between US and USSR. This century would be witness of quantum computing race between US and China. It has changed the dimensions of operating systems, software, hardware, databases, and applications. Quantum computers are in a phase to replace the conventional computers and they are reaching to the level called quantum supremacy. The chapter covers the details of the basic principles and work methodology of quantum cryptography, the contribution of various pioneers, advantages over classical cryptography, its applications, future scope, and limitations simultaneously. The chapter covers the contribution of leading countries and organizations in quantum revolution.