Quantum signals escape fiber, travel 13 miles in open air in New York - Interesting Engineering
Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University have successfully transmitted quantum information through 13 miles of open air. This breakthrough demonstrates a potential wireless alternative to fiber-optic cables, which are often limited by infrastructure and signal degradation.
Why it matters
Overcoming the physical limitations of fiber-optic cables is a critical step toward building scalable, long-distance quantum networks for secure communication.
It may sound surprising, but one of the most stubborn problems in building quantum networks is that cables get in the way.Fiber-optic cables—the same technology that carries much of today’s internet traffic—can transmit fragile quantum information over long distances. But they require physical infrastructure and are designed to work best with specific telecommunications wavelengths.That creates a problem because quantum technologies can operate at other wavelengths, while quantum signals are so delicate that losses and disruptions in the fiber can limit how far they can travel.Now, researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University have demonstrated another route.
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