New Quantum Cryptography Speed Record

Roland Piquepaille writes "Physicists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have established a world's speed record for 'unbreakable' encryption with their cryptographic system based on the transmission of single photons. With this kind of method, messages cannot be intercepted without detection, meaning transmission is always safe. The NIST 'quantum key distribution' (QKD) system was used between two buildings located 730 meters apart for transmitting a stream of photons at a rate of 1 million bits per second. While it might not look very fast, its 100 times faster than with previous quantum distribution systems. This overview contains more details and references about information theory."