Research scientists from the University of Science and Technology of China have announced major breakthroughs in quantum communications that tackle major hurdles in realizing a large-scale quantum network.
One bottleneck involves extending quantum entanglement long enough for it to be connected to each section of an optical fiber quantum network.
The researchers also generated device-independent quantum encryption keys over 11 kilometers of fiber, beating the previous record by 3,000 times, and validating the information at about 100 kilometers away.
Device-independent quantum key distribution is considered the gold standard for secure communications because it’s guaranteed by the laws of quantum physics and is not something that can be ‘hacked into’.
Researchers say the demonstration marks the first time DI-QKD has been installed over city-scale fiber networks.
The researchers have hailed these outcomes as pivotal milestones for China in the field of quantum communications.
The researchers’ findings were published in the journals Nature and Science in early 2026.
中国科学技术大学的研究科学家宣布在量子通信领域取得重大突破，解决了实现大规模量子网络的主要障碍。
一个瓶颈涉及延长量子纠缠的时间，使其能够连接到光纤量子网络的每个部分。
研究人员还在11公里的光纤上生成了与设备无关的量子加密密钥，打破了之前的纪录3000倍，并在大约100公里外验证了信息。
与设备无关的量子密钥分发被认为是安全通信的黄金标准，因为它受到量子物理定律的保证，并且是无法“入侵”的。
研究人员表示，该演示标志着首次在城市规模的光纤网络上安装DI-QKD。
研究人员称赞这些成果是中国在量子通信领域具有里程碑意义的重大进展。
研究人员的研究结果于2026年初发表在《自然》和《科学》杂志上。