(Futurity.org) Tiny nanosatellites such as the SpooQy=1 could bring the quantum internet to people on Earth, researchers report.
Headline-grabbing experiments by China’s satellite Micius have shown that quantum signals can reach Earth from satellites with their spooky and useful properties intact, pointing the way to building a global quantum internet.
Now, researchers have now shown that nanosatellites might do the job for less money compared to using larger satellites.
“In the future, our system could be part of a global quantum network transmitting quantum signals to receivers on Earth or on other spacecraft,” says Aitor Villar, who worked on the quantum source for nanosatellite SpooQy-1 while getting his PhD at the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT) at the National University of Singapore.
A country the size of Singapore could have a fiber-based quantum network—and in separate projects the Infocomm Media Development Authority, Singtel, and ST Engineering have been looking at the technology—but innovation is needed to go global.
“We are seeing a surge of interest in building quantum networks around the world. Satellites are a solution to making long range networks, creating connections across country borders and between continents,” says Alexander Ling, principal investigator at CQT and an associate professor in the NUS physics department. He leads CQT’s satellite program.
Tiny Nanosatellites Could Bring Quantum Internet to People on Earth
