Next Iteration of Quantum Repeaters to Help Build the Quantum Internet. A quantum-enabled internet is being sought by many organizations throughout the globe. A key component to the internet’s backbone is the use of a repeater – a device which increases the signal strength of data transmissions from attenuation loss and other factors. Quantum repeaters as a whole are relatively new on the leading-technology scene. The data sent over the quantum network is encoded as quantum bits, or qubits. Photonic qubits are short-lived in terms of distance travelled before losing their quantum state.
Researchers at the University of Toronto, with collaboration from Osaka University, etal., have developed a key element for an all-photonic quantum repeater. Unique in their prototype, the team’s repeater offers advantages the current quantum-memory-based devices do not. “For example, this method could work at room temperature.”
According to the team’s lead, “An all-optical network is a promising form of infrastructure for fast and energy-efficient communication that is required for a future quantum internet.”
Reference is found at University of Toronto…