This marks a milestone in Quantum-Secure Data Transfer and includes the UK’s first long-distance quantum-secured video call.
Collaboration with University of Bristol and Fibre-Optic Infrastructure
The team also included researchers from the University of Bristol. They created the network by using standard fibre-optic infrastructure, relying on a variety of quantum phenomena to enable ultra-secure data transfer.
Advanced Quantum Key Distribution Technology
The network uses two types of quantum key distribution schemes: ‘unhackable’ encryption keys hidden inside particles of light; and distributed entanglement: a phenomenon that causes quantum particles to be intrinsically linked.
The researchers demonstrated the capabilities of the network via a live, quantum-secure video conference link, the transfer of encrypted medical data, and secure remote access to a distributed data centre.
410km Distance and UK Quantum Network Integration
The data was successfully transmitted between Bristol and Cambridge – a fibre distance of over 410 kilometres.
The experiment demonstrates the potential of Quantum-Secure Data Transfer networks to accommodate different quantum-secure approaches simultaneously with classical communications infrastructure.
EPSRC-Backed Quantum Infrastructure and Impact
It was carried out using the UK’s Quantum Network (UKQN), established over the last decade by the same team, supported by funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and as part of the Quantum Communications Hub project.
The network uses single-mode fibre over the EPSRC National Dark Fibre Facility (which provides dedicated fibre for research purposes), and low-loss optical switches allowing network reconfiguration of both classical and quantum signal traffic.
Foundations for a Future Quantum Internet
“This is a crucial step toward building a Quantum-Secure Data Transfer future for our communities and society,” said co-author Dr Rui Wang, Lecturer for Future Optical Networks in the Smart Internet Lab's High Performance Network Research Group at the University of Bristol. “More importantly, it lays the foundation for a large-scale quantum internet—connecting quantum nodes and devices through entanglement and teleportation on a global scale.”
