Erwin Schrödinger Center for Quantum Science & Technology (ESQ)

Quantum cryptography is one of the most promising quantum technologies of our time: Exactly the same information is generated at two different locations, and the laws of quantum physics guarantee that no third party can intercept this information. This creates a code with which information can be perfectly encrypted.

The team of Prof. Marcus Huber from the Atomic Institute of TU Wien developed a new type of quantum cryptography protocol, which has now been tested in practice in cooperation with Chinese research groups: While up to now one normally used photons that can be in two different states, the situation here is more complicated: Eight different paths can be taken by each of the photons. As the team has now been able to show, this makes the generation of the quantum cryptographic key faster and also significantly more robust against interference. The results have now been published in the scientific journal "Physical Review Letters".

For more information see:

https://www.tuwien.at/en/tu-wien/news/news-articles/news/quantenkryptographie-rekord-mit-hoeherdimensionalen-photonen

https://science.apa.at/power-search/1856946630930859336

X. Hu et al., Pathways for Entanglement-Based Quantum Communication in the Face of High Noise, Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 110505 (2021).