‘Optica Breakthrough’: Light teleported 30km through live internet traffic in a first

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

Quantum Jump

US researchers teleported a light state through 30 km of fiber amid internet traffic, per Optica, marking a massive leap in quantum communication.

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Photon Highway

Using existing fiber lines buzzing with data, engineers sent a fragile quantum photon without it losing its identity—once thought impossible.

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Star Trek Vibes

Like sci-fi teleporters, quantum teleportation transfers states, not matter, by entangling and mirroring a particle’s possibilities.

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Noise Proof

The team placed photons at an exact wavelength “safe zone” to dodge scatter and interference from other fiber-optic signals.

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First Ever

While others simulated it, Prem Kumar’s group at Northwestern actually teleported quantum data alongside real-world internet streams.

Shared Lines

No need for new cables—quantum and classical data can share fiber if wavelengths are chosen wisely, Kumar confirms.

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Fairy Floss Risk

Quantum states are fragile—comparing them to “fairy floss in a spring shower”—easily ruined without precise protection.

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Encrypted Future

Quantum teleportation could unlock unbreakable encryption, sensing tech, and ultra-fast computing networks.

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Quantum Inevitable

This test proves a quantum internet is coming, not someday, but soon—without a total rebuild of today’s infrastructure.

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