No longer science fiction, scientists test quantum teleportation: what does it mean and how does it affect us?

One of this year’s top-rated books, The Ministry of Time, by Kaliane Bradley, takes place in a world where the British government has access to time travel.

The future of information transportation

Though time travel may never be a possibility, scientists are making advancements in quantum teleportation, sometimes referred to in comic books simply as teleportation. One should not assume that this technology will be used to move humans or objects; now, scientists are examining how it could be applied to the transfer of information.

However, a recent discovery by a team of researchers at Northwestern University could rethink the speed and mechanics of information transfer globally. The findings were published earlier this year in Optic. The current system, which relies on fiber optic cables, is fast. Through these cables, information is carried by millions of particles to transmit information from one point to another.

The scientists, whose research was funded by the US Department of Energy, were interested in examining how quantum teleportation could be integrated into the existing fiber optic infrastructure used for sending information. The research team, led by Dr. Prem Prem Kumar, underscores “the feasibility of advanced quantum and classical network applications operating within a unified fiber infrastructure.”

The discovery would reduce the number of cords and wires, allowing information to be carried between two points by a single pair of photons or light particles. Using a process called quantum entanglement, the two photons would be able to send and receive information but only limited by the speed of light.

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