At First Glance, The Quantum Internet May Seem Like A Fanciful Idea, But Network Experts Believe That The Quantum Internet Can Become A Tangible Reality In Our Lives In Less Than A Decade.
The quantum internet emphasizes a particular part of quantum physics where data transmission over long distances and time travel are possible.
This particular part of quantum physics could lead technology to a new stage of development. The question now is, what will make the quantum internet work so smoothly?
Due to its unique capabilities, the quantum internet has attracted the attention of governments, large businesses, and research institutes worldwide. So big institutions have allocated billions of dollars in research and development of quantum Internet.
The quantum Internet will create outstanding achievements for the information technology industry and affect almost all current technologies, from the development of artificial intelligence to the cryptocurrencies you put in your digital wallet. Interestingly, video communication makes it possible to establish stable and high-quality contact with astronauts on planets like Mars. Quantum Internet will completely revolutionize our interaction with movie and series streaming platforms so that you will not experience any delay in viewing or downloading movies of the highest quality.
What does quantum mean?
In physics, quantum refers to a quantity’s most minor and least essential value capable of interacting with any other unit. In this regard, quantum mechanics studies and researches the behavior of these small units. Scientists have discovered that quantum units have unique properties that could help us achieve a quantum internet. Help In the physical world, all of us and the objects around us operate within the limits of the laws of classical physics. That is why things cannot travel faster than light because of restraining forces such as gravity. They have a negative impact. The website space.com writes about this: “Quantum units can exist outside the physical realm and thus have the ability to operate under different laws. “Simply put, in the quantum world, objects can travel faster than light, back in time, or teleport.”
What role do qubits play in the quantum internet?
Modern computing is centered around bits, which function as binary codes. That is, they are all set to zero or one. Each bit may change state from off to on or vice versa. This changing of bits changes the shape of programs and ultimately makes today’s classic computers work and do different things.
The computer you are working with now works well for surfing the web, streaming movies and TV series, and playing computer games, but researchers do not use MacBook Pro to discover the world’s mysteries. When the hardware is constantly improving, the bits that use this powerful hardware are in the physical world and have to work within the framework of the physical laws we mentioned. Bits move between 0 and 1 in less than a billionth of a second, which seems fast, but is not desirable for some applications and specific functions.
The qubit, which Microsoft refers to as the fundamental unit of information in quantum computing, maybe the key to breaking through the barrier of limitations. A qubit is essentially a piece of quantum data that can operate in quantum space. Because quantum space is entirely different from the space of classical physics, the laws of classical physics do not affect it. As a result, it is possible to overcome speed limits trust easily; the qubit can solve many of the current problems.
Unique properties of qubits
In addition to solving the problem of physical limitations, the qubit has other attractive properties. While a standard bit in today’s computing world can only have two states, on or off, on the other hand, a qubit can be on, off, and something between these two states at the same time. Also, particles can be connected through quantum entanglements. For example, in the quantum world, if one particle spins counterclockwise, we can be sure that the second particle rotates clockwise, even if the distance between them is so great that they are invisible.
Scientists now believe that quantum entanglements are fragile. From a security point of view, this is a good thing for the quantum internet because any interference, like hacking attempts, will be identified, and experts will be informed quickly. However, the above mode is not good from the point of view of communication because it creates communication instability. Currently, there is no way to change the state of a particle without losing entanglement.
What achievements will the quantum internet bring?
The most important advantage of the quantum internet is security. Harvard School of Engineering experts believes that the quantum internet is unhackable. In fact, instead of mathematical calculations that may contain significant flaws that pave the way for hackers to break in, a hacker to hack the quantum internet must find a way to violate the laws of physics or quantum mechanics to obtain the data of quantum communication. If a hacker intercepts a qubit in transit, it could change its state but still fail to collect information. In addition, during hacking, both sides of the communication channel will quickly become aware of this issue, and efforts will be ineffective. The TuDelft research institute believes that the development and implementation of the quantum internet will have a better global positioning mechanism, more accurate quantum clocks, more regular communications, and more powerful and reliable security capabilities. All these things will be achieved in the shadow of the implementation of the quantum internet.
What problems does the quantum internet face?
While networks based on the quantum internet offer the highest level of security, they still have weaknesses that allow hackers to exploit them. Of course, all these weaknesses are physical. “Fiber-optic cables used to transmit data are one of the reasons for security problems,” says David Winder, a technology journalist. “Also, if the data is not damaged in transit, it may be vulnerable where it is stored.”
Although it is impossible to simulate an actual quantum state, a team of researchers at the University of Ottawa has created highly stable versions of photons in communications, revealing the potential vulnerability of quantum data in transit. The point that almost all experts agree on is that the quantum internet is more secure than current communication methods.
Currently, researchers are trying to design and develop a quantum internet around the concept of quantum entanglement. Now, quantum communication involves entangling two photons and sending one down a fiber-optic cable. While the existence of quantum entanglement and ways to control it has been proven, how exactly it works is still not understood. Still, it is possible that in the future, we will be able to send data directly between quantum particles, reducing the reliance on lines for quantum internet communications. If the human understanding of quantum entanglement increases, establishing fast communication could be one of the critical features of the quantum internet.
The need to achieve acceptable security levels
Eon Labs has conducted research on this, which shows that under normal conditions, encryption algorithms can provide the best level of protection based on current hardware, and based on calculations, breaking the highest level of current encryption algorithms based on standard computing hardware is billions. It takes years.
Current encryption algorithms work so well that some security experts claim that breaking into a home is far easier than cracking a modern security key. ]ف means that the complexity of current encryption algorithms is well suited to the needs of consumers, but with the development of quantum computers, the situation will be different. For example, we need specific algorithms that can be implemented based on quantum physics.
There is tough competition between supercomputers and security systems, and in the best case, a supercomputer can defeat a modern encryption system in about five years. However, an article published in Nature in 2019 points out that the situation is different for a quantum processor. Typically, a quantum processor can handle calculations and operations in 200 seconds, while a supercomputer needs 10,000 years to complete these calculations. Undoubtedly, this is not good news for security experts and companies active in the security field because the only way to deal with such an outcome is to use quantum encryption algorithms.
What are the advantages of quantum Internet for ordinary users?
In simple words, we have to say that the implementation of quantum internet does not make a significant difference for ordinary users, but it has brilliant advantages for professional users. Increasing security and fast data transfer are two essential criteria that people active in multimedia, big data, and artificial intelligence need a lot. While ordinary users will see little benefit from the quantum internet, governments, private businesses, and large tech companies are investing heavily in it because of its valuable benefits.
Most likely, regular users will not need this type of Internet for the next few decades, and it may not be available to them. Governments, businesses, and researchers will reap the benefits of the quantum internet. The research shows that the current speed of the Internet is far more than the users’ needs. In other words, users in some countries have access to 1 Gbps internet service, which is almost 50 times the speed required to stream 4K movies on video streaming platforms. The speed and capabilities of the quantum Internet will be effective in certain areas, such as cloud computing and virtual worlds.
Amazon, IBM, and Microsoft have already made quantum computers available online, so it’s not far-fetched to imagine when online game streaming services like GeForce NOW will use quantum computing and the quantum internet to deliver services. Sanjay Basu, a technology expert, believes that the quantum internet can play a vital role in the construction and operation of virtual worlds of companies active in this field. The security benefits of the quantum internet are significant for improving the digital economy and the expansion and prosperity of virtual worlds.
When does the idea of the formation of the quantum internet go back?
We can hardly call the idea of a quantum Internet new since quantum key distribution as a secure and precise communication method based on quantum physics involving sharing encryption keys was first proposed in the 70s when Columbia University physicist Stephen Wiesner identified the communication capabilities of this technology. In the mid-1980s, Weisner’s theory was developed by Charles Bennett from IBM and Gilles Brassard from the University of Montreal. In 1989, these two researchers created and introduced a model of Quantum Key Distribution, one of the Internet’s main components. It is quantum.
Large companies such as Amazon, Google, IBM, and Microsoft have invested heavily in developing the quantum internet due to its advantages, such as high communication speed or high-security level. Also, many scientists in China, the United States, and the Netherlands are engaged in research in this field. Interestingly, China has broken essential records in recording quantum data transmission speed. In the Netherlands, researchers from tech researchers have developed a stable quantum network based on entanglement. Scientists have built a quantum memory by connecting atoms in the United States.
What is the relationship between blockchain and quantum Internet?
The most significant advantage of blockchain-based systems is their security and decentralization. Still, the quantum revolution poses a severe threat to blockchain-based systems, cryptocurrencies, and non-traditional tokens (NFTs) from various angles. As we mentioned, quantum computers significantly threaten current security algorithms. Algorithms that people use to generate security keys and protect their digital currencies.
Also, there is a risk that a quantum computer could destroy a blockchain network. This concern made the digital currency community think of a solution to this problem and even proposed the development of digital currencies based on quantum computing called Quantum Proofing. Of course, large companies active in quantum computing, such as IBM, try to balance this field; In this way, while developing advanced quantum processors, they are also working on anti-quantum encryptions.
How are scientists able to overcome the limitations of the quantum internet?
Connecting multiple quantum computers allows us to solve the most complex real-world problems and provides a way to overcome the limitations of classical computers. Just as various computers can be connected to a network, quantum computers can communicate and share resources. Features that the quantum internet provides us remove much of the inefficiency of modern networks and allow different devices to work as a single device, just like how multiple cores of innovative device processors can communicate. In addition, the possibility of connecting devices in series can solve space-related problems, required energy, and cooling mechanisms. However, current quantum processors must be cooled with liquid nitrogen, which requires a lot of space and specialized facilities.
How does Web3 develop into a quantum internet?
It is Coordinate quantum computing and quantum internet. The advancement of computing through the quantum internet gives rise to a concept that experts at the University of Chicago have named “supercharged artificial intelligence,”; An efficient artificial intelligence that offers extensive benefits in web development and machine learning. In short, if quantum computing is available to us in a shorter time, developing and implementing Web 3.0 will be done more accurately. The point we should mention in this context is that the quantum internet can also threaten web 3.0 because the decentralized web is aligned with blockchain technology; we said the current blockchain design is firmly against the internet and quantum computers. It is vulnerable. It is true that Web 3.0 does not have a complicated startup process, but similar to the world of digital currencies, it must quickly adapt to security challenges: c
At what stage is the development process of the quantum internet?
Experts believe that the quantum internet will be launched in 2030. However, we should not assume that it will bring about significant changes when the quantum internet is found because quantum networks and the quantum internet are still very much in the early days of the current technologies. It means optical fiber cables and relays are dependent. Apart from the fact that fast communication is ideal, another big problem is that quantum entanglement is very fragile. It is now possible to measure parts of an entangled particle and discover the size of another, but the problem is that the measurement cannot be correlated with what has already been set. In addition, changing the properties of a quantum particle, such as change
1 to 0 can convey messages, but the entanglement is lost as soon as you do more than measure a particle. The reality is that our understanding of entanglement and quantum mechanics is not yet complete. A small advance in this area could make things that currently seem impossible.