Scientists have successfully hit a satellite with a stream of protons in an
experiment to build a global quantum-encrypted communications network.
Professor Anton Zeilinger and
his team from the University
of Vienna used a 1.5 metre telescope at the Matera Laser Ranging Observatory
in Italy to bounce single photons off the Ajisai geodetic satellite 1400km above
the earth. The project smashed his previous record of 144km.
With the right satellite in orbit the stream could be used to send
quantum-encoded data that is virtually unbreakable using current known
technology. But, up until now, the blurring effects of the atmosphere has made
sending data in this way practically impossible.
The team managed to hit the Ajisai satellite, which is one of a number of
‘mirror ball’ satellites used solely for measurement, and receive coherent data
back. The researchers tried to establish contact with similar satellites further
away, but were unable to do so, according to the
physics arXiv blog
The next stage would be to build satellites capable of receiving signals and
either decoding them and sending back information, or firing them sideways to
other satellites to establish a global communications network.
Zeilinger developed the first entanglement-based cryptographic system. He was
also the first recipient of the
Isaac
Newton Medal of the Institute
of Physics.
“Zeilinger’s work helped open the way to new quantum information
technologies. He developed the first entanglement-based cryptographic system,
and more recently worked on implementations of quantum computing using photon
cluster states," the Institute of Physics stated.
The professor is also reportedly a huge Douglas Adams fan, so much so that
his boat is named 42.
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