Some Major Micius Experiments
The Micius satellite, launched in 2016, conducted numerous pioneering experiments spanning more than six years. The key achievements are highlighted here.
In 2017, a significant breakthrough was achieved with the establishment of a satellite-to-ground QKD system spanning a staggering distance of 1200 km, operating at a key rate of 1.1 kbps. This marked a critical milestone in enabling secure key exchange over vast distances. Subsequently, in the same year, another groundbreaking achievement showcased the successful implementation of entanglement-based QKD over an impressive 1000 km satellite-to-ground link, achieving a remarkable key rate of 3.5 bps. The quest for enhanced capabilities continued in 2018, as a satellite relay QKD and encryption demonstration was conducted, effectively covering a staggering 7600 km between ground stations. Subsequent years witnessed the push for more efficient key rates, with a 40-fold increase in satellite-ground QKD’s key rate to 47.8 kbps in 2021.
The field of Quantum Teleportation also experienced rapid strides. In 2017, entanglement distribution between ground stations located 1200 km apart showcased a fidelity of 0.869, marking a significant advancement in the ability to transmit quantum information over long distances. Notably, quantum teleportation was extended to a distance of 1400 km from the ground to a satellite, albeit with a slightly reduced fidelity of 0.80. Building on these achievements, 2022 saw the successful quantum state transfer between ground stations 1200 km apart, with a fidelity of 0.82.
The year 2019 witnessed the experimental validation of a gravitationally induced quantum decoherence model. This exploration shed light on the intriguing interplay between quantum mechanics and gravity, contributing to our understanding of the fundamental nature of the universe. Additionally, the potential of quantum phenomena extended into the domain of time transfer, as seen in 2020’s achievement of satellite-to-ground quantum-secure time transfer. This accomplishment featured an impressive 9 kHz time data rate and a remarkable 30 ps transfer precision.
These accomplishments by Micius collectively underscore the rapid progress and immense potential of quantum technologies. As the field continues to evolve, these milestones set the stage for groundbreaking applications in cryptography, communication, and the fundamental understanding of the quantum world.
Note: This article is a part of my Womanium Online Quantum Media Project. Find out about it here .
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