Quantum Feat Takes Us One Step Closer To Star Trek Transporters

Rejoice! Star Trek-Like Quantum Teleportation Could Become A Reality
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Beam me up Scotty! Imagine being teleported from one place to another via Star Trek's transporter.

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Well, physicists are one step closer to turning this piece of fiction into fact, with the annoying caveat being that we will be teleporting information and not humans.

Researchers have for the first time teleported photons (packets of light) over 63 miles of fibre optic cable.

What this essentially means is one day, scientists could create a "Quantum Internet" that would not only be more secure but could completely rid the need for conventional cables and wires.

According to Live Science, the ground breaking experiment took place at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

"What's exciting is that we were able to carry out quantum teleportation over such a long distance," study co-author Martin Stevens, told Live Science.

Underlying this incredible feat is quantum physics, which says that subatomic particles can exist in two places at the same time.

Quantum teleportation in theory allows us to instantly beam things, in this case light particles, from one place to another.

"Only about 1 percent of photons make it all the way through 100 kilometers (60 miles) of fiber," said Stevens.

He added: "A quantum Internet could allow you to establish communications channels that are much more secure than what we have with the standard encryption protocols we use everyday nowadays..."