3.5 KiB
- Influential papers:
Anne Broadbent, Joseph Fitzsimons, Elham Kashefi
Elham Kashefi - professor at University of Edinburgh and invented blind quantum computing. She sounds awesome! ‘Using blind quantum computing, clients can access remote quantum computers to process confidential data with secret algorithms and even verify the results are correct, without revealing any useful information. Realising this concept is a big step forward in both quantum computing and keeping our information safe online’ said study lead Dr Peter Drmota, of Oxford University Physics. --via source
In the new study, the researchers use an approach dubbed “blind quantum computing”, which connects two totally separate quantum computing entities – potentially an individual at home or in an office accessing a cloud server – in a completely secure way. Importantly, their new methods could be scaled up to large quantum computations.
‘Using blind quantum computing, clients can access remote quantum computers to process confidential data with secret algorithms and even verify the results are correct, without revealing any useful information. Realising this concept is a big step forward in both quantum computing and keeping our information safe online’ said study lead Dr Peter Drmota, of Oxford University Physics.
A trapped-ion quantum system, used for quantum networking experiments. Credit: David Nadlinger.
The researchers created a system comprising a fibre network link between a quantum computing server and a simple device detecting photons, or particles of light, at an independent computer remotely accessing its cloud services. This allows so-called blind quantum computing over a network. Every computation incurs a correction which must be applied to all that follow and needs real-time information to comply with the algorithm. The researchers used a unique combination of quantum memory and photons to achieve this.
The results could ultimately lead to commercial development of devices to plug into laptops, to safeguard data when people are using quantum cloud computing services.
Researchers exploring quantum computing and technologies at Oxford University Physics have access to the state-of-the-art Beecroft laboratory facility, specially constructed to create stable and secure conditions including eliminating vibration.
The research was funded by UKRI EPSRC, via the UK Quantum Computing and Simulation (QCS) Hub, part of the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme. Scientists from the UK National Quantum Computing Centre, Paris-Sorbonne University, University of Edinburgh, and University of Maryland, collaborated on the work.
The study ‘Verifiable blind quantum computing with trapped ions and single photons’ has been published in Physical Review Letters.