China launches quantum-enabled satellite Micius

[arabianights]

China has successfully launched the world's first quantum-enabled satellite, state media said.

It was carried on a rocket which blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in China's north west early on Tuesday.

The satellite is named after the ancient Chinese scientist and philosopher Micius.

The project tests a technology that could one day offer digital communication that is "hack-proof".

But even if it succeeds, it is a long way off that goal, and there is some mind-bending physics to get past first.

full story:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-37091833

 

[Drakkith]

China has successfully launched the world's first quantum-enabled satellite, state media said.

What's a "quantum-enabled satellite"?

 

[RonL]

What's a "quantum-enabled satellite"?

The satellite will create pairs of so-called entangled photons - tiny sub-atomic particles of light whose properties are dependent on each other - beaming one half of each pair down to base stations in China and Austria.

Open it if you can, it's a good article

 

[Heinera]

And behind this is Anton Zeilinger and his former PhD-student Pan Jianwei, so this thing obviously has some scientific merit.

 

[idea2000]

So, could entangled photons actually send data? I have read all of these journal stories that say that you can't force a specific state unless you break the entanglement. How does this work?

 

[Nugatory]

So, could entangled photons actually send data? I have read all of these journal stories that say that you can't force a specific state unless you break the entanglement. How does this work?

No, entangled photons cannot be used to send data. We have many older threads explaining why.

They can be used as a very secure way of distributing encryption keys so that people can use traditional channels to send encrypted data without some malfunction cious thid party being able to read or tamper with the transmitted data.

 

[idea2000]

Thx for your reply =) I was wondering what happens when you break the entanglement? This is a quote from a webpage I just read:

"But by forcing that distant particle to be +1 or -1, that means, no matter the outcome, your particle here on Earth has a 50/50 shot of being +1 or -1, with no bearing on the particle so many light years distant."

How come the two entangled particles don't need to choose opposite states? Does this violate conservation laws?