Is quantum cryptography in reach?

Originally published on Kapuno in the Technology community

🔗 Stanford physicists take first step toward quantum cryptography (Article)

Two key points from the article:

A challenge is that light “leaks” from even the best fiber optic cables; current systems employ multiple devices called “repeaters” that receive a fading light signal and then amplify and reproduce it to send to the end recipient. In order to transmit quantum messages, scientists need to build “quantum repeater” systems that enable entanglement between electrons to be created over many repeater stations between the start and end locations.

Quantum telecommunication networks such as this are still years away, but the new Stanford research – published this week in Nature, with recent PhD graduate Kristiaan De Greve as lead author – demonstrates a critical first step in that chain.