Quantum Communication and Quantum Internet Applications

Victoria Lipińska

The Internet as we know it has had an immense impact on the way we communicate. We can now do it faster and more securely than ever before. Enabling quantum communication between any two points on Earth is the next step towards even more secure communication. This is the goal of the quantum internet. Although it is hard to predict all of the applications for the quantum internet, many protocols running on a network connecting nodes able to process qubits have already been identified. Typically, these applications require many qubits to be realized, a requirement which will not likely be met in the early quantum internet.

Alexander V. Sergienko, Villoresi, Paolo, Saverio Pascazio

Stephanie Wehner

Quantum network technology Prof Dr Stephanie Wehner, Director of the European Quantum Internet Alliance, explains how quantum network technology and a quantum internet could revolutionise communication and connectivity. The internet, an intricate network connecting devices across the globe with classical communication, has profoundly shaped our world. We now stand on the brink of a new type of internet. Imagine an evolution of the internet, one that intertwines the principles of quantum mechanics with our existing digital technology. This is the vision of a quantum internet - an innovation that promises to redefine our understanding of communication and connectivity. Working in tandem with our traditional ‘classical’ internet, a quantum internet would connect quantum devices globally. Such a network would unlock capabilities that are fundamentally unattainable through classical communication alone. Take, for instance, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), a striking application of quantum communication. QKD allows two distant nodes to create an encryption key guarded by the immutable principles of quantum mechanics.

Colin P. Williams

Stephanie Wehner, David Elkouss, Ronald Hanson

The stages of a quantum internet As indispensable as the internet has become in our daily lives, it still has many shortcomings, not least of which is that communication can be intercepted and information stolen. If, however, the internet attained the capability of transmitting quantum information—qubits—many of these security concerns would be addressed. Wehner et al. review what it will take to achieve this so-called quantum internet and propose stages of development that each correspond to increasingly powerful applications. Although a full-blown quantum internet, with functional quantum computers as nodes connected through quantum communication channels, is still some ways away, the first long-range quantum networks are already being planned. Science , this issue p. eaam9288