Forty thousand kilometers under quantum protection

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a revolutionary cryptography response to the rapidly growing cyberattacks threat posed by quantum computing. Yet, the roadblock limiting the vast expanse of secure quantum communication is the exponential decay of the transmitted quantum signal with the distance. To...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2023-05, Vol.13 (1), p.8756-12
Main Authors: Kirsanov, N. S., Pastushenko, V. A., Kodukhov, A. D., Yarovikov, M. V., Sagingalieva, A. B., Kronberg, D. A., Pflitsch, M., Vinokur, V. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
639/301
639/766
Communication
Communications networks
Cryptography
Humanities and Social Sciences
multidisciplinary
Network security
Protocol
Repetition
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Tomography
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a revolutionary cryptography response to the rapidly growing cyberattacks threat posed by quantum computing. Yet, the roadblock limiting the vast expanse of secure quantum communication is the exponential decay of the transmitted quantum signal with the distance. Today’s quantum cryptography is trying to solve this problem by focusing on quantum repeaters. However, efficient and secure quantum repetition at sufficient distances is still far beyond modern technology. Here, we shift the paradigm and build the long-distance security of the QKD upon the quantum foundations of the Second Law of Thermodynamics and end-to-end physical oversight over the transmitted optical quantum states. Our approach enables us to realize quantum states’ repetition by optical amplifiers keeping states’ wave properties and phase coherence. The unprecedented secure distance range attainable through our approach opens the door for the development of scalable quantum-resistant communication networks of the future.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-35579-6