Funding for secure and reliable transmission of quantum data
Prof. Dr Ralf Riedinger from the Department of Physics will develop a test platform for error processing in quantum communication networks in the new joint project. Photo: UHH/Esfandiari
Eavesdropping security and much higher computer performance – these are two promises of quantum communication technology. A consortium coordinated at the University of Hamburg is receiving almost one million euros in funding for the development of practical quantum networks.
Light particles hold great potential for the IT of tomorrow. For one thing, photons cannot be copied, so they can transmit data in a tap-proof way. On the other hand, processors that work with photons can be connected to form a quantum supercomputer and thus enable much faster data transmission.
“A key challenge is to reliably transmit the information between the nodes of a quantum communication network. This means we must be able to detect transmission errors and correct them with suitable methods,” says physicist Prof. Dr. Ralf Riedinger. He conducts research in the Cluster of Excellence “CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter” and coordinates the consortium, which includes the University of Hamburg, the University of Ulm and Swabian Instruments GmbH.
The project, called “HIgh FIdelity QUANTUM net-works (Quantum HiFi)”, is funded for three years by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the measure “Research Agile – Innovative Methods for Quantum Communication Networks”.
In the collaboration, the researchers will develop small, modular quantum processors that will form the core of a future quantum network. The focus of the Hamburg researchers is on developing a test platform for error processing. This will lay the foundation for a future, secure IT encryption architecture that is independent of technical developments in other fields.
Questions from the media:
Prof. Dr. Ralf Riedinger
University of Hamburg
Institute for Laser Physics
Department of Physics
E-Mail: ralf.riedinger@uni-hamburg.de
Media and Public Relations Department
University of Hamburg
Tel.: +49 40 42838-2968
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