US developers launch Quantum computing based virtually unhackable Internet
"Scientists plan to use that trait to make virtually unhackable networks." Scientists are also exploring how the quantum internet could expedite the exchange of vast amounts of data. If the components can be combined and scaled, society may be at the cusp of a breakthrough in data communication, according to the report. This new network would utilize the laws of quantum mechanics to more securely transfer information by sending tiny particles down cables or fiber. These quantum networks use the strange behavior of quantum bits, or “qubits”, to transmit information at high speed.
Previous trials
In February of this year, scientists from DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois, and the University of Chicago created a 52-mile (83-kilometer) “quantum loop” in the Chicago suburbs, successfully establishing one of the longest land-based quantum networks in the nation. That network will soon be connected to DOE’s Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois, establishing a three-node, 80-mile testbed.
Goals
The aim is to create a parallel, more secure network based on quantum "entanglement," or the transmission of sub-atomic particles. "One of the hallmarks of quantum transmissions is that they are exceedingly difficult to eavesdrop on as information passes between locations," according to the Energy Department statement.
Existing Vs Proposed
Unlike traditional computers in which bits must have a value of either zero or one, a qubit can represent a zero, a one, or both values simultaneously. Recipients would be alerted to an interception, and the intruder would only see a scrambled message. The anxiety has led to calls for a new Internet on which no one can intrude and steal data or threaten nations. The US plans to create a parallel quantum Internet “that could be used by government departments and banks to send sensitive information without intrusion”. The agency's 17 national laboratories will serve as the backbone of the coming quantum internet, which has initial government funding.
Conclusion
Moreover, creating networks of ultra-sensitive quantum sensors could allow engineers to better monitor and predict earthquakes a longtime and elusive goa or to search for underground deposits of oil, gas, or minerals. Such sensors could also have applications in health care and imaging.