Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Austrian Academy of Sciences conducted the first quantum video call using the Micius satellite launched in 2016. The call took place between Beijing and Vienna and was absolutely unbreakable.
Incoming call
On September 29, a video call took place between Beijing and Vienna, the capitals of China and Austria. This was no ordinary call - it was the first real demonstration of a phone call securely encrypted using quantum technology. This event is a huge step forward in the field of quantum communication, and demonstrates the potential for technology to influence the way information is transmitted securely.
Quantum video calling is a collaboration between researchers from the Chinese and Austrian academies of sciences and the University of Vienna. The call was encrypted in photons sent from the Micius satellite. The satellite launched last year and successfully applied quantum cryptography in August, sending data down to earth.
As explained in the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the photons were transmitted to ground stations located in China and Europe, as well as to a satellite laser measurement station in Graz, Austria. Using an orbital station, it becomes possible to bypass the limitations imposed by the bending of the earth's surface and signal attenuation in long fiber-optic cables. More importantly, unlike traditional communication methods (which can be hacked with the right technical means), quantum communication is considered unbreakable, and any attempt to break into the system will be immediately detected.
“If someone tries to intercept the photons that are exchanged between the satellite and the ground station and measure their polarization, the quantum state of the photons will change by the very attempt at measurement, by detecting a hacking attempt,” explains Johannes Handsteiner, Austrian Academy of Sciences.
Promotional video:
The safest communication … today
It should be noted that quantum communications are unbreakable only today, and in many respects due to the novelty of technology. In the future, someone may come up with a way to intercept such communication, which, in turn, will spur the development of safer methods. Until then, we have time, and at the moment quantum technologies are the safest way to exchange data.
Beijing and Vienna aren't the only cities to host quantum video calls. According to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, calls are planned in the future between China and Singapore, Italy, Germany and Russia. With constant use, we can find out the limitations of the technology and the minimum equipment necessary for its operation. It was announced in August that China is the leader in quantum technology, and this remains true months later.
Vadim Tarabarko