Quantum breakthrough to provide security benefit
Posted on 29 June 2009
Professor Sam Braunstein, in York’s Department of Computer Science, with colleagues in Germany and Japan, succeeded in generating nine-party quantum entanglement for the first time.
It is likely that ordinary people will be using quantum cryptography long before they use a quantum computer
Professor Sam Braunstein
The method provides a robust form of quantum error correction, an important step in making online communication more secure. It will also help in the development of a quantum computer whose capacity would be many times greater than that of a conventional one.
The research team which included scientists from the University of Tokyo and the Max Planck Institute at Erlangen Nuremburg, demonstrated a theory first proposed by Professor Braunstein in 1998. Their findings are published in the latest issue of Nature Physics.
Professor Braunstein said: “This advance will make quantum cryptography more likely. It is likely that ordinary people will be using quantum cryptography long before they use a quantum computer. Quantum communication, such as this, uses much less infrastructure. It will boost security for everybody, but I can see banks being one of the first users because of the added protection it will provide for financial transactions.”
During a three-year research project, the team used quantum optics techniques to demonstrate nine-party quantum entanglement, substantially more powerful than quantum error correction schemes have previously achieved.
But the researchers say that even more complex multi-partite quantum entanglement will be required before the goal of a quantum computer can be reached.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The paper Quantum error correction beyond qubits in Nature Physics is available at http://www.nature.com/nphys/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nphys1309.html
- More information on the Department of Computer Science at the University of York at http://www.cs.york.ac.uk