The dawn of quantum communication

Abstract

Dramatic paradigm shifts over the past few centuries have led to a rich landscape of options in human and machine communication. Communication today is deeply intertwined with our personal and social lives in addition to being a vital part of businesses and government operations---both overt and covert. This talk will address the evolving role that the fundamental laws of quantum physics are likely to play in giving communication yet another dimension in its richness. Quantum communication will bring about not only communication in the form as we know it, but also ensure that it is unconditionally secure as it transits through any medium. Given that information is the currency of a modern society, its security is paramount for the wellbeing of an individual, a society, a nation, or the globe as a whole. The talk will discuss the short history of quantum communication and draw upon the theoretical and experimental work that the author and his colleagues have conducted over the past few years in order to chart out the likely course of future events in the emerging age of secure communication.