A team from the University of Edinburgh ran calculations on the movement of X-rays across the emptiness of space to see if they would encounter any obstructions.
Quantum particles, like photons of light, are fragile and could easily break down if they meet any kind of interference, like from a gravitational field.
However it was determined that the quanta could survive travelling hundreds of thousands of light-years at least – a greater stretch of distance than the entire Milky Way galaxy.
Extraterrestrial life could send messages through interstellar space using quantum communications, physicists from the University of Edinburgh have found
Quantum communication systems are faster and more secure than regular networks because they use photons rather than computer code. The lack of obstacles in space means that it is possible to beam messages across hundreds of thousands of light-years at leastQuantum tech employs the effects of quantum physics – the nature of matter at the atomic and subatomic levels – for advances in communications.
Quantum communication systems are faster and more secure than regular networks because they use photons rather than computer code, which can be hacked.
It is hoped the technology could provide an ‘unhackable’, high-speed internet in the future.
However, the largest roadblock for implementing the quantum systems is how susceptible they are to ‘decoherence’.
This is when a quantum particle loses some or all of its unique characteristics as it interacts with its surroundings.
Potential obstacles include the gravitational field of large planets or stars, cosmic dust, solar winds and other particle content in the interstellar medium.
In the paper, published last month in Physical Review D, the physicists describe their calculations that prove that quantum particles could be beamed over large interstellar distances.
They used astronomical data and mathematical models to describe the movement of X-Rays between roughly a hundred relatively nearby exoplanets and Earth.
It was concluded that this distance probably wouldn’t present very disruptive obstacles to the quanta.
This is largely due to the ‘cleaner’ environment in space than on Earth, as the average density of matter is much smaller.
Therefore the likelihood of a quantum particle being knocked off course while moving through space is much lower.
The researchers wrote: ‘It is plausible that quantum communication mediated by photons could be established across interstellar distances, in particular for photons in the X-ray region below the electron mass.’
As well as X-rays, they noted that photons of microwaves and optical light would also be feasible.
Source: Dailymail
