Engineers have created the first working quantum Internet

Quantum technologies are taking an important step forward, and now the quantum Internet has become a reality. For the first time, engineers from the University of Pennsylvania have transferred quantum networks from the laboratory to the real world using conventional commercial Verizon fiber-optic cables operating over standard Internet protocols. This was reported on September 26 by Science Daily magazine.

The quantum Internet is a new data transmission technology using the laws of quantum physics. Unlike the conventional Internet, where information is transmitted in the form of bits (0 and 1), the quantum Internet uses quantum bits — qubits, which can simultaneously be in several states due to the phenomenon of superposition.

To do this, scientists have developed a special chip, the "Q—chip," which helps synchronize ordinary Internet signals with quantum ones. Quantum signals use special physical properties of particles that can instantly affect each other, even over long distances. This opens up opportunities for ultra-fast and powerful quantum computers that can do calculations much faster than current technologies.

This chip not only transmits quantum signals, but also automatically corrects errors, which allows them to maintain their integrity and accurately transmit information. It is important that the system has shown excellent results, maintaining data transmission accuracy above 97% even in the presence of external noise and interference, which makes it stable for real-world use in everyday life.

"By embedding quantum information into the familiar IP structure, we have shown that the quantum Internet can literally speak the same language as the classical one. This compatibility is the key to scaling using existing infrastructure," said Ichi Zhang, a graduate student at the MSE Faculty and the first author of the paper.

This discovery brings the creation of a quantum Internet much closer, which could be as revolutionary for the future as the traditional Internet was in the 1990s. With it, it will be possible to perform calculations on a whole new level — faster, more efficient and safer.

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On the same day, scientists from the University of Sydney presented a new study in which they reveal how to circumvent the limits of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Their results open up new horizons for quantum technologies, including quantum computers and communications, which can fundamentally change modern computing and data security.

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