NIST, the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, has successfully demonstrated a record-breaking speed for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), a method for creating unbreakable encryption using the laws of quantum physics. In their laboratory testbed, the system generated raw encryption keys at over 4 million bits per second over optical fiber, doubling their previous speed record. This protocol uses single photons of light in different orientations to create codes, ensuring that any attempt to intercept the key is immediately detected because measuring the photons changes their state.
Although the system is currently a lab prototype, it represents a major step toward practical quantum security for high-speed networks. After error correction, the system can produce secret keys fast enough to encrypt and stream high-resolution video in real-time. Researchers plan to move this technology from the lab to field testing in the future, aiming to secure sensitive data like satellite imagery, healthcare records, and military communications over standard broadband internet.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/itl/record-speed-qkd-set-nist
Keywords: quantum key distribution, optical fiber, high-speed encryption
