In a networked society, secure communication is essential. Quantum physics delivers the necessary foundation by allowing practicable technologies such as quantum key distribution. With the new fiber optic test facility at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), which opened on January 22, 2025, researchers aim to transmit, test and refine quantum keys. They also plan to set up a quantum network to link quantum computers.
To generate and transmit the quantum keys, the researchers will use cutting-edge technologies such as ultra-coherent lasers with the new fiber optic test facility. Quantum keys are crucial for secure communication because they are based on physical laws instead of the mathematical assumptions underlying earlier encryption keys, which future quantum computers will be able to break.
Spanning 20 kilometers, the quantum-optical transmission line connects laboratories specially equipped with complex lasers and cryostats on KIT’s Campus South and Campus North. The light-guiding core of a fiber optic cable is only about 9 micrometers in diameter. For comparison, the thickness of a human hair is about 60 micrometers.
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