Quantum Communication: Why in News?
Recently ISRO has demonstrated Quantum Communication and this has made India enter the elites in this field.
Quantum Experiments Using Satellite Technology (QuEST) Project:
QuEST launched in 2017, is being implemented by Raman Research Institute or RRI in collaboration with ISRO.It is carried out by Raman Research Institute's quantum information and computing or QuIC lab, is India's first ever project on satellite based long distance quantum communications.
The results of the project were seen in february 2021 when a team of researchers led by Professor Urbasi Sinha demonstrated a communication between two structures 50 metres apart. The use of quantum key technology was done in this experiment.
ISRO has demonstrated the same thing now. It demonstrated free space quantum communication over 300 metres.
On 19th March, ISRO demonstrated the technology enabling secure communication between buildings located in SAC campus in Ahmedabad. These buildings were 300 metres apart. The testing was carried out at night to avoid interference due to direct sunlight.
As per ISRO a number of key technologies were developed indigenously to accomplish the success of this experiment. It included-
- Indigenously developed NAVIC receiver for time synchronization between the transmitter and receiver modules
- Gimbal mechanism systems instead of bulky large-aperture telescopes for optical alignment
As per the statement released by ISRO, “this is a major milestone achievement for unconditionally secured satellite data communication using quantum technologies.”
Quantum Key distribution:
The Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technology is the technology behind Quantum Communication technology ensuring unconditional data security by using it’s principles of quantum mechanics, which may be impossible using conventional encryption systems.
These conventional crypto-systems that are used for data-encryption rely on the complexity of mathematical algorithms. The laws of Physics ensure the security offered by quantum communication. Thus, quantum cryptography is being seen as the ‘future-proof’. The reason for such consideration can be no expectations from any future advancements in the computational power breaking the quantum-cryptosystem.
Quantum Communication: Advantages-
The technology is useful for a range of strategic sectors like defence and digital money transactions and banks. ISRO also plans to extend this to the satellites developed by it.
The experiment would be helpful in ISROs goal of demonstrating Satellite Based Quantum Communication or SBQC. Here ISRO would gear up to demonstrate the technology between two Indian Ground Stations as claimed by the space agency.
The world's first satellite that was the first quantum enabled one was launched by China in 2016. It is also called as Quantum Experiments at Space Scale or QUESS. It was launched in 2016. India has joined the elite nations through this breakthrough experiment now.
What is Quantum Key Distribution or QKD? Read all about it here
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