If the assumptions of scientists from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Physics and Astronomy are confirmed, it will be very important in the context of communication over very long distances.
The results of physicists appeared on the pages physical review d. The most important of these conclusions relate to the possibility of quantum communication in interstellar space. In this way, our civilization can even search for evidence of extraterrestrial life forms.
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Quantum communication has recently become a frequent topic of research, which in the future may lead, for example, to the creation of the quantum Internet. However, in this case, the scale is completely different, because the transmission of information does not take place between cities, countries or continents, but between different planetary systems. The authors of a new study on the topic set out to test this concept using mathematics describing the motion of X-rays in interstellar space.
Quantum communication has so far been considered in the context of ground conditions
The purpose of these analyzes was to see if the calculations made could show the degree of quantitative decoherence likely to occur during this journey. It concerns the interactions of quantum bodies with the environment, that is, in this case with interstellar space. As a result of this phenomenon, quantitative information can be lost, which, of course, is extremely undesirable.
Research conducted so far has indicated that interstellar space is completely empty, but it is still not known whether it can be used as a means of transmitting quantum information. Thanks to new research by Arjun Pereira and colleagues, it is possible to answer this question initially. Read: Yes. It appears that quantum information can travel hundreds of thousands of light-years without risking decoherence.
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Moreover, optical and microwave ranges will work just fine. Therefore, there are opportunities for this type of connection to be used by extraterrestrial civilizations. Scientists do not even rule out a scenario in which quantum teleportation is possible in interstellar space.
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