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xchrom

(108,903 posts)
Tue Apr 24, 2012, 08:37 AM Apr 2012

Quantum Rainbow Photon Gun Unveiled

http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/27792/?p1=blogs



We've heard much about the possibility of a quantum internet which uses single photons to encode and send information protected by the emerging technology of quantum cryptography.

The main advantage is of such a system is perfect security, the kind of thing that governments, the military, banks and assorted other groups would pay handsomely to achieve.

One of the enabling technologies for a quantum internet is a reliable photon gun that can fire single photons on demand. That's not easy.

One of the significant weaknesses of current quantum cryptographic systems is the finite possibility that today's lasers emit photons in bunches rather than one at a time. When this happens, an eavesdropper can use these extra photons to extract information about the data being transmitted.
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