Abstract:
In the aftermath of unparalleled disruptive technologies, the quantum realm has emerged as a fundamental field of research, offering unrivaled computational power and super-secure communication. In addition to the conventional internet, a new frontier known as the quantum internet has emerged. The quantum internet utilizes quantum communication to send quantum information, or qubits, to predetermined destination nodes. It operates on the principles of quantum mechanics, such as superposition, quantum entanglement, the no-cloning theorem, and quantum teleportation. These concepts, which have no classical analogues, are critical for the success of the quantum internet in the modern world. However, quantum communication, like its classical counterpart, is susceptible to noise, a phenomenon known as quantum decoherence. Quantum decoherence poses a significant barrier to the widespread implementation of a global-scale quantum internet. Environmental factors that disrupt quantum entanglement play a key role in causing qubits to lose their quantum states. To address the challenge of quantum decoherence, techniques such as quantum error correction codes (QECC) and entanglement distillation have demonstrated their potential. These techniques involve the addition of extra qubits or the maintenance of entanglement among quantum networks, mitigating the detrimental effects of decoherence. This process helps in preserving and enhancing the integrity of quantum information during transmission and storage. While progress has been made in mitigating the effects of quantum decoherence, several challenges remain in realizing the full potential of the quantum internet. Moreover, ensuring the security of quantum networks against potential attacks and building trusted quantum nodes are ongoing research endeavors. Despite these challenges, the projected applications of the quantum internet are compelling. The principles of quantum mechanics, quantum decoherence, and techniques to mitigate its effects are fundamental to the development of the quantum internet. This work describes quantum mechanics principles, quantum decoherence, and techniques to mitigate the effect of quantum decoherence. Finally, it highlighted some challenges in the realization of the quantum internet, along with some projected applications.
