Quantum codes make cloud computing safe

Quantum supercomputers could safely store and manipulate sensitive data, with help from University research.

Elham Kashefi from the University's School of Informatics has helped demonstrate quantum cloud computing, for the first time.

Sophisticated storage

Quantum computers store data using subatomic particles known as qubits, rather than the silicon chips used in conventional computers.

Silicon chips store data using binary code - a series of ones and zeros - while qubits represents a range of values simultaneously, enabling fast, powerful computing.

Scientists translated qubits into code by representing them using light particles, each aligned in a different way, creating a password that cannot be reproduced.

The encrypted data was transferred to a server and computations carried out, without the third-party server being able to read the true data.

Guaranteed safe

Conventional encryption schemes are at risk of fraud because of the power of quantum computers.

The proposed scheme, however, is unconditionally safe as long as the quantum mechanics is correct.

The work was carried out in collaboration with the University of Vienna, Austrian Academy of Sciences, University of Waterloo, National University of Singapore and University College Dublin

The findings are published .