'Unhackable' quantum broadband step closer after breakthrough by Chinese scientists

A breakthrough by Chinese scientists has brought high-speed, quantum broadband communication a step closer.

Scientists at the University of Science and Technology in Hefei, Anhui province, have demonstrated for the first time that quantum information can be stored and distributed using a broadband communication protocol.

Writing in the British journal Nature Photonics the researchers said the technology showed "great promise for the establishment of quantum networks in high-speed communications".

Unlike traditional communication methods, quantum broadband would be immune to hacking, the researchers said.

Anyone who tried to detect or measure the quantum bits - entangled photons that carry information in various quantum states - would destroy the information, rendering it impossible to read and alerting the recipient.

The "unhackable" nature of quantum broadband is the primary reason the Chinese government is investing in quantum communication. The world's longest quantum network and first quantum communication satellite are both being built in China.

Current quantum networks are plagued by narrow bandwidth and slow speeds, mainly due to the difficulty of maintaining fragile quantum states over long distances.