National University of Singapore and Imec Join 5 Year Quantum Internet Plan
ICs for secure quantum networks
Selected notes ~
+ In this five-year agreement, Imec and NUS will jointly develop scalable, robust and efficient technologies for quantum key distribution and quantum random number generation, which are amongst the basic building blocks of a truly secure Quantum Internet.
Dr. Charles Lim, Assistant Professor at NUS said: “The development of chip-based prototypes will allow us to turn today’s QKD technologies into an efficient communication networking solution. Our team at NUS will bring in expertise on the theory, protocol design, and proof-of-concept experiments of the quantum random number generator and QKD systems. We’re very excited to collaborate with Imec, as their expertise will allow us to translate these solutions into real silicon-photonics based chips – by using Imec’s process design kits and re-usable IP blocks.”
+ Post-quantum cryptography is essentially about updating existing cryptographic algorithms and standards so that current infrastructures would be ready for a post-quantum digital world.
+ It however maintains a security profile that is still based on unproven assumptions. Quantum cryptography, on the other hand, offers a much stronger security guarantee: its security is solely based on the laws of quantum physics and thus is in principle unbreakable.
+ With this approach, two essential building blocks are quantum key distribution (QKD) and quantum random number generation (QRNG). At present, however, the methods and processes enabling these quantum technologies are limiting and expensive. Consequently, these bottlenecks have made quantum cryptography unattractive for wide-spread deployment.
+ Together, Imec and NUS aim to resolve some of these bottlenecks, leveraging on the theoretical, experimental and engineering expertise of the respective R&D teams.
+ The overarching objective is to move QKD and QRNG technologies to a platform which is much more scalable, robust, and cost-effective.
Source: ElectronicsWeekly.com. David Manners, ICs for secure quantum networks…
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