Weird quantum internet could be delivered by drones

Researchers have used drones to transmit photons that are entangled even when they are far away. This means that their quantum states are related: measuring the state of one affects the state of the other. It’s weird shit – so weird that Einstein called it “spooky action at a distance”. Scientists have investigated whether this strange phenomenon could be the basis of a global quantum internet that harnesses the power of entanglement as a communication technology. Now, researchers at the Chinese University of Nanjing have used drones and base stations to wirelessly relay tangled particles for a mile. Science:

Ultimately, scientists aim to build a global quantum internet that relies on the transmission of quantum particles to enable ultra-secure communications by using the particles to create secret codes to encrypt messages. A quantum internet could also allow distant quantum computers to work together or perform experiments that test the limits of quantum physics.

“Optical relay entanglement distribution using drones as mobile nodes” (Physical examination letters)

_{IMAGE: XIAO-HUI TIAN, HUA-YING LIU AND ZHENDA XIE}