Quantum Cryptography Slowed by "Dead Times"

coondoggie writes "Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Joint Quantum Institute said today that technological and security issues will stall maximum transmission rates at levels comparable to that of a single broadband connection, such as a cable modem, unless researchers reduce "dead times" in the detectors that receive quantum-encrypted messages."

Comments

Use a cat!

[Anonymous Coward]

Then maybe it won't be dead!

Re:Use a cat!

[91degrees]

Ah. In that case I put it down to a reflex action. Or maybe slashcode has been altered so that it always mods down the first post as redundant as a matter of principle.

Re:I have no clue what this is about

[Anonymous Coward]

hardware which may or may not exist yet is going to run slowly unless said hardware is improved at some time in the future when it may or may not exist.

Organization often confussed with...

[Nezer]

It should be noted that the Joint Quantum Institute does *entirely different* research than the Quantum Joint Institute located in Amsterdam.

Re:Organization often confussed with...

[Anonymous Coward]

It should be noted that the Joint Quantum Institute does *entirely different* research than the Quantum Joint Institute located in Amsterdam.

The latter, presumably, conducting most of their meetings in coffee shops.

Re:How can you have security issues?

[ScrewMaster]

but they use a quantum *handwaving* thing to ensure the bits sent traditionally haven't been messed with.

It's a Force thing. The quantum circuits say, "you don't need to see his information" and anyone trying to listen in simply waves the information on its way.

Tell God you support Quantum Neutrality

[Anonymous Coward]

That fucker is just trying to throttle bandwidth unless the matter-energy providers and Waveform Collapsing Union pay his exorbitant Higgs access fees.

We demand an immediate release of the cat

[140Mandak262Jamuna]

The Society for the prevention of cruelty to Animals vehemantly condemns subjecting animals to needless cruelty in the name of scientific experiments. Release Schrodinger's Cat Now!

Re:I have no clue what this is about

[TheRaven64]

Einstein explained radio like this:

You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat. Quantum cryptography is the same, the only difference is that the absence of cat may or may not be alive.