The previous world record for quantum secure direct communication was 18 km, but researchers in Beijing have set a new record of 102.2 km. Long Guilu wrote in Nature that the transmission speeds were very slow, but still good enough for text message and phone call encryption over a distance of 19 miles. The work could eventually lead to hack-proof communication, as any eavesdrop attempt on a quantum line can be immediately detected.
The principal of entanglement is used to secure networks. If you change the property of one entangled particle by measuring it, the other will instantly change as well, making hacking impossible. In theory, the particles stay linked even if they are light-years apart.
The research team devised a novel design of physical system with a new protocol to achieve the longer distance after setting the previous fiber record. The previous model used a complicated active compensation subsystem, so they simplified it.
The system can be made impossible to decode by channel loss. They were able to extend the fiber from 28.3 km to 102.2 km.
If we replace parts of the internet with quantum channels, they will have the ability to sense and prevent eavesdropping.
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