Quantum Internet is a virtual high-speed Internet that provides ultra-secure connectivity to quantum devices around the world. In the future, the quantum internet will be a collection of network megaclusters made up of small quantum infrastructures separated by long distances or national borders.
Although quantum computers exist in the physical world, the concept of a quantum internet is currently theoretical. Existing quantum networks do not currently extend beyond the laboratory, but are relevant to quantum computing. For example, the quantum internet is based on quantum mechanical phenomena such as superposition and entanglement, and implements quantum cryptographic protocols to secure communications.
Research teams are conducting experiments to establish entanglement over long distances, and scientists continue to theorize how a quantum internet is expected to work once developed. Once fully realized, the quantum internet will integrate with the traditional internet to solve complex problems and enable secure communications and high-speed computing.
Classical Internet and Quantum Internet
The quantum internet will not replace the traditional internet. Instead, it adds greater capabilities for connecting devices in homes, commercial facilities, and businesses. Current quantum computers access the classical Internet to perform specific tasks. All quantum devices will eventually need to support the quantum internet through quantum networking protocols.
unit of data
In the classical Internet, devices can send, receive, calculate, and store information represented in the form of bits. A bit is the smallest unit of computing that indicates the logical state of a device, such as on or off, and is represented by 0 or 1, respectively. A group of bits can represent a character in text, a pixel in an image, or a frame in a video. In other words, a group of bits represents any information on the Internet.
The quantum internet allows interconnected quantum networks to exchange information known as qubits, which are encoded in two quantum states. Just as a bit represents a 0 or 1, a qubit represents two quantum states.
A quantum state represents either the polarization of a photon or the spin of an electron. These properties allow qubits to encode information within quantum networks. These propel the qubits into a state of superposition. In this state, the qubit is in both states at the same time, and changes to the qubit affect both states.
In a quantum internet, logical operations such as error correction and encryption can modify individual qubits without affecting other qubits in the data packet. This differs from the deterministic processing used in the traditional Internet, where transmissions vary based on the overall information within the data packet.
action mode
The traditional Internet transmits data from source to destination at high speed. Each source and destination has a unique IP address. Network protocols encapsulate information into packets and transmit data from a transmitter to a receiver over a channel. The traditional Internet relies on the TCP/IP protocol to ensure reliable data delivery, IP addressing, routing, security, and other important network requirements.
Since the quantum internet is still a hypothesis and in the early stages of small-scale development, a well-defined network protocol suite like TCP/IP does not yet exist. However, researchers have developed various quantum networking protocols over the years to enable today’s quantum communications. Quantum networking protocols exchange qubits within a network based on the principles of quantum mechanics.
cover area
The traditional Internet is a global interconnected network made up of smaller networks around the world. The Internet is made up of billions of networks, and billions of users access the Internet every day to browse the web, consume information, and communicate with other users.
Quantum Internet coverage is complex to measure because it only exists in hypothetical scenarios. Quantum researchers generate entangled states over long distances to test the expansion of quantum networks. According to research, the range of a quantum network of fiber-based communications is about 62 miles. To extend the range of quantum communications, scientists are implementing quantum repeaters that capture weak signals for retransmission.
Quantum Internet Security vs. Traditional Internet Security
In the traditional Internet, network security protocols enable the formation of secure channels for uninterrupted connectivity. Examples of network security protocols include:
- IPsec.
- VPN tunneling protocol.
- Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
- Secure Shell (SSH).
- Tunnel Layer Security (TLS).
- Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA).
However, in the quantum internet, the development of cryptographic protocols relies on quantum key distribution (QKD). QKD shares a private key that cannot be duplicated between devices connected to the quantum internet. A hacker cannot accurately determine the state of an entangled qubit because the wave function collapses when the measurement is made. The quantum internet also implements quantum cryptographic protocols to secure communications.
reliability
Although the traditional Internet usually works reliably, the reliability of data packet transmission is not always guaranteed. Networks often experience packet loss due to factors such as congestion and hardware failure. Packet loss prevents data transmission over the Internet and sometimes causes delays.
A quantum internet can also experience qubit loss, a problem similar to packet loss. Qubit loss, also known as quantum decoherence, is a problem that frequently occurs when all components in a quantum environment interact with the system, leading to the loss of photons. Because quantum networking is still in its infancy, we don’t yet know how to prevent or fix decoherence, but researchers continue to study its causes.
Quantum internet speed vs. traditional internet speed
Traditional internet speeds range from Mbps to Gbps. Mbps speeds are suitable for basic internet activities such as web browsing, sending emails, and streaming. Gbps speeds support bandwidth-intensive use cases such as file downloads, video conferencing, and gaming.
Early theories predicted quantum communication would be faster than the speed of light, but current research suggests this is not the case. Researchers theorized that quantum communication violates the law of causality, which states that every cause has an effect. Quantum communication violates this principle because entanglement between qubits (a property that links qubits and allows communication between them) can occur regardless of the distance between the qubits. .
Quantum entanglement requires two qubit states to be directly dependent on each other. In theory, qubits could be a billion miles apart from each other, yet they could communicate with each other instantly. Quantum entanglement states that it is impossible to measure both the position and momentum of entangled particles, so it is unlikely that the quantum internet travels at the speed of light.
Comparison of quantum internet and traditional internet
The table below summarizes the differences between the quantum internet and the classical internet.
| Characteristic | classic internet | quantum internet |
| unit of data | a bit | quantum bit |
| action mode | TCP/IP protocol suite | principles of quantum mechanics |
| coverage | global | It is small and has several quantum computing networks. |
| security protocols | IPsec, VPN, SSL, SSH, TLS, WPA | QKD, quantum secure direct communication, quantum cryptographic protocols |
| reliability | Expensive, but packet loss occurs | Low, error correction code is often required |
| speed | Mbps to Gbps |
theoretically high |
| Implementation status | 5.4 billion users worldwide | hypothesis |
How the quantum internet and classical internet work together
Researchers predict that the quantum and classical internets will work together to solve complex problems. Ways in which the quantum and classical internets can work together include creating quantum hybrid networks, supercomputing, or superconductor bits.
quantum hybrid network
Quantum hybrid networks implement elements of both the classical Internet and quantum networks into a single network. Integration has the potential to extend security through QKD. The non-duplication theorem prevents the creation of duplicate copies of any quantum state, but redundancy is required in enterprise environments. Additionally, quantum networks are error-prone. Network administrators can introduce error correction devices in quantum networks to eliminate errors.
Quantum internet could surpass supercomputing
Terms and conditions quantum networking and supercomputing Although they seem interconnected, supercomputers are actually a classic Internet use case. Supercomputers are general-purpose machines that manipulate bits to perform long, complex calculations and process large amounts of data. Even in its early stages, the quantum internet will help quantum computers surpass the decade-long legacy of supercomputers in real time.
superconducting bit
superconducting quantum computing We discuss the integration of superconductors and quantum networks. In other words, superconducting bits are realized with superconducting circuits. Superconductors replace semiconductor hardware. Experts predict that in the future the quantum internet will run on superconductor-based devices to enable quantum cloud computing.
Quantum Internet: Web x.0
The classic Internet was first developed in the 90s as Web 1.0, giving users static control over the Internet. His second phase, Web 2.0, was a dynamic social media revolution focused on connecting users. The latest version, Web 3.0, focuses on decentralization and ownership.
Experts visualize the concept of Web 4.0 as an AI integration of the physical and virtual worlds. The quantum internet could be a step ahead of Web 4.0 and other future stages of web evolution. Quantum Internet could lead to a hacker-free, fast, and unclonable Internet.
Venus Kohli is an electronics and communications engineer who completed her engineering degree from Bharati Vidyapeeth College of Engineering, University of Mumbai in 2019. Kohli works as a technical she writer in electronics, electrical, networking, and various other technology categories.
