Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • NEWS AND VIEWS

A step closer to secure global communication

Quantum key distribution is a cryptographic method that can guarantee secure communication. A satellite-based experiment has shown that this technique can be applied over long distances without the need for trusted relays.
  1. Eleni Diamanti

    1. Eleni Diamanti is at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Sorbonne University, 75005 Paris, France.

    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed  Google Scholar

Modern society is driven by the large-scale exchange of information. As a result, secure communication of sensitive data around the world is an increasingly valuable asset. The mathematical toolbox that is widely used for this task can be complemented by applying the principles of quantum physics to enhance the security of the communication link. This approach has highly desirable features, such as protection of the encrypted information from threats that might arise as a consequence of future advances in computational power. However, it also comes with substantial technological challenges in terms of the range of communication possible and the degree of trust in the devices used. Writing in Nature, Yin et al.1 demonstrate that such cryptographic solutions can be deployed over distances exceeding 1,000 kilometres, without compromising the security promised by the underlying quantum technology.

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Nature 582, 494-495 (2020)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-01779-7

References

  1. Yin, J. et al. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2401-y (2020).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Diamanti, E., Lo, H.-K., Qi, B. & Yuan, Z. npj Quantum Inf. 2, 16025 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Boaron, A. et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 190502 (2018).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Liao, S.-K. et al. Nature 549, 43–47 (2017).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Peev, M. et al. N. J. Phys. 11, 075001 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Liao, S.-K. et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 030501 (2018).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Bhaskar, M. K. et al. Nature 580, 60–64 (2020).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Aktas, D. et al. Laser Photon. Rev. 10, 451–457 (2016).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Wengerowsky, S. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 116, 6684–6688 (2019).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Yin, J. et al. Science 356, 1140–1144 (2017).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Ekert, A. K. Phys. Rev. Lett. 67, 661–663 (1991).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Bennett, C. H., Brassard, G. & Mermin, N. D. Phys. Rev. Lett. 68, 557–559 (1992).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Lo, H.-K., Curty, M. & Qi. B. Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 130503 (2012).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Subjects

Latest on:

Nature Careers

Jobs

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing

Search

Advanced search

Quick links