Seismic Sensing Using Quantum Cryptography Network
Michael Schirber · Physics · 2022
An experiment demonstrates that quantum key distribution networks, which are part of highly secure cryptography schemes, can also detect and locate earthquakes.By Michael Schirber O ne form of quantum cryptography involves an optical fiber network over which users share encryption keys-strings of bits used to encode and decode messages.Fiber networks can also be used to sense earthquakes, and now researchers have shown that the two tasks could be combined [1].The team sent a quantum key distribution (QKD) signal over a 658-km-long fiber while causing the fiber to vibrate at a specific location.They detected this vibration via the optical signal and showed that they could determine its position to within 1 km.The new technique could