Chinese scientists develop portable quantum satellite communication device
- Weighing in at just 80kg, the machine can connect to China’s quantum satellite and receive encryption keys in the form of entangled light particles
- Breakthrough was made by team at University of Science and Technology of China
Chinese scientists have developed a quantum satellite ground station that is not only capable of sending ultra-secure messages anywhere in the world but also fits inside a family car.
The mobile device, developed by the University of Science and Technology of China, weighs about 80kg (176lbs). With the addition of a 28cm (11 inch) telescope, it can connect to the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ quantum satellite known as Mozi, and receive encryption keys in the form of entangled light particles.
Unlike traditional encryption methods based on mathematics, quantum encryption is protected by the fundamental law of physics. In theory, all information scrambled by encryption algorithms can be cracked by a computer if it is fast enough, but quantum key communication will remain intact because any attempt to eavesdrop will cause a physical change in the message and trigger a security alert to the sender or receiver.
On Monday, the project team and collaborators from the Jinan Academy of Quantum Technology tested the device on a rooftop in Jinan, Shandong province.
It established a near perfect line of light with Mozi using laser beams and, in eight minutes, received quantum keys sufficient for the encryption of a large amount of data for long distance transmission.
The event was reported on Thursday by several Chinese publications, including Science and Technology Daily, a newspaper run by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
The team confirmed the results but declined to comment further, saying full details of the test were being prepared for publication in a peer-reviewed journal at a later date.