Quantum internet may entail shipping qubits across oceans

MIT Technology Review : A quantum version of the internet is being envisioned to securely transmit information. Because such a network would use entangled photons to transfer data, it would avoid the potential interference or hijacking of information that can occur during transmission through optical fibers or other conventional media. However, quantum networks will still encounter some of the same logistical problems, such as how to relay information across the oceans. Whereas quantum repeaters can extend the range of entanglement, they have been shown to work only over short distances and may prove too delicate to withstand the hostile conditions at the bottom of the sea. Now Simon Devitt from Ochanomizu University in Japan and colleagues have proposed that the quantum bits of information, or qubits, be transported across the water via container ship. Unlike conventional photons, the qubits would carry entanglement rather than actual information. Once they were in position, communication between them would be even faster than traditional repeater networks.