Is the Quantum Internet the Same Thing as Quantum Computing?

August 23, 2019 – If we add the word “quantum” in front of anything in information technology, we create a picture of something mysterious, fuzzy, and very much futuristic. Quantum computers fit those descriptors.

Where is the mystery?

The language of computing in the quantum space goes from bits to qubits. That’s just one of the mysterious aspects of quantum computing. Qubits don’t use the logic of bits which are either on or off, or in a yes or no state. Instead, they can be both on or off or in a state somewhere in between. Even more mysterious is something called quantum entanglement which means that a measurement done on a data bit in one quantum computer can influence the measurement of a data bit on a remote system instantaneously without the appearance of any physical activity.

Why fuzzy?

Because qubits are not bits, they are not limited to binary logic where there are only two states of existence controlled by logic gates. Something is either on or off, or yes or no, or black or white. With qubits, however, we can see the technology producing a solution that is neither on or off or yes or no, or shades of grey. Quantum computers, therefore, act more like us.

Why futuristic?

Today’s quantum computer processors can only operate in a controlled temperature environment barely above absolute zero. That’s a temperature equivalent to -273 Celsius or -460 Fahrenheit degrees. require systems that are kept at temperatures near absolute zero. At that temperature, atoms and molecules exhibit some weird quantum states and can transfer information between them even if an unlimited distance apart, a form of teleportation which makes you immediately think of the Star Trek Transporter which is pretty futuristic.

So what does quantum computing have to do with the Quantum Internet?

Because quantum computers are already here if not in common use, then communication with today’s Internet requires us to consider the potential security risks. The Internet today secures data transmitted over it by using mathematical formulae that scramble and unscramble content using a key, a string of characters that must be known to the sender and receiver. Our user names and passwords give us access to programs and applications which rely on built-in private keys that make the sending and receipt seamless. A quantum computer, however, can break into encrypted data on today’s Internet making the sending and receipt transparent to a quantum computing user.

That means we need new algorithms that encrypt data that can be secured from quantum snooping. First, we will have to shore up our classical algorithms so that a quantum computer cannot crack the key. But following that as quantum computers become more common we will need quantum algorithms that today do not exist.

How will we know when the Quantum Internet emerges?

Today secure websites like 21stcentech.com use “https” which stands for hypertext transfer protocol secure, which protects the integrity and confidentiality of data coming from the site to your desktop, smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Websites that appear with the prefix “http” are not secure.

The emergence of the Quantum Internet will first be observed with websites whose prefix will begin with something like “httpq,” the “q” standing for implementation of quantum-secure algorithms ensuring that quantum-based systems information has joined the realm of the Internet. But unless you use a quantum computer you will not be able to access pages designated by such a prefix or any other that becomes the secure Quantum Internet communication standard.

And as the Quantum Internet develops we will see a transformation in information sharing that takes advantage of quantum entanglement and superposition for data in a quantum state. Although today, communication between two quantum computers is somewhat inhibited by the medium by which we send and receive qubits, which limits transmissions to relatively short distances, a recent development out of China may represent the first steps in the Quantum Internet’s emergence.

In 2016, China launched the Micius satellite to demonstrate ground station to satellite communication, using quantum teleportation. The satellite succeeded in teleporting a photon instantaneously. The first intercontinental quantum cryptography service had arrived.

Researchers in Europe and China then tested the technology by creating a secure videoconference operating under the laws of quantum physics. This was the first intercontinental quantum network and a major stepping stone in the founding of what will become the global Quantum Internet.

In a recent Gizmodo article, Ryan Mandelbaum, writes, “The quantum internet is coming sooner than you think …when things change over, you might not even notice.” I would add maybe it is here already and we haven’t.