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A Quick Guide to Quantum Communication

Rohit Singh, Member, IEEE, Roshan M. Bodile, Member, IEEE

Abstract—This article provides a quick overview of quantum

communication, bringing together several innovative aspects of
quantum enabled transmission. We first take a neutral look at
the role of quantum communication, presenting its importance
for the forthcoming wireless. Then, we summarise the principles
and basic mechanisms involved in quantum communication,
including quantum entanglement, quantum superposition, and
quantum teleportation. Further, we highlight its groundbreaking
features, opportunities, challenges and future prospects.
Index Terms—Quantum Communication, 6G and Beyond.
arXiv:2402.15707v1 [eess.SP] 24 Feb 2024

I. I NTRODUCTION
Over the past few decades, wireless communication has
witnessed tremendous advancements [1]. Yet, the forthcom-
ing wireless network demands even faster, more efficient, and Fig. 1. An illustration of quantum communication, depicting encoding and
secure information exchange, where quantum communication decoding.
appears to be a promising solution. The quantum world,
with its counter-intuitive properties, has gained significant
attention from physicists for decades. Quantum mechanics, towards the evolution of communication technologies beyond
the fundamental theory governing the behaviour of parti- 6G, b) presenting the fundamental principles of quantum
cles, creates a pathway to a wide range of technological communication, under the realm of quantum entanglement,
advancements. Indeed, the most promising implementation quantum superposition, and quantum teleportation c) further,
of quantum mechanics lies in its potential to revolutionize highlighting the groundbreaking features and opportunities
the way we communicate with each other. Quantum com- through quantum communication, including Quantum Shift
munication precisely makes use of two fundamental theories Keying in the context of 6G and beyond, d) besides, this
namely quantum entanglement and quantum superposition. article presents current state and challenges of quantum
Indeed, the concept of quantum entanglement was initially communication in wireless technology, e) finally, the future
postulated by the renowned physicist Albert Einstein, pop- prospects have been given to promote research in this domain.
ularly known as “spooky action at a distance”. Specifically,
entanglement is a phenomenon which interconnects qubits in II. P RINCIPLES AND S IGNIFICANCE
such a way that the state of one is linked to the state of Quantum Communication, being a field of applied physics,
another, irrespective of the travelled distance [2]. Whereas, explores the principles of quantum mechanics to transmit and
superposition is another phenomenon, in which quantum process information. This section summarises key technology
can exist in multiple states simultaneously. This duality pillars of quantum communication.
conservation of spinning quantum pairs is mainly utilized
for information encoding and is known as Quantum Shift A. Quantum Entanglement
Keying (QSK). Unlike classical communication which uses
classical bits, quantum communication uses quantum bits, Quantum entanglement is the core principle1 stated as
popularly known as qubits. Fig. 1 illustration of information “when two particles interact, they can become entangled such
transmission through qubits. Apart from new definitions of that their quantum states are linked, even when separated by
information exchange, quantum-enabled transmission pro- large distances”. As depicted in Fig. 2, measurements on one
vides several other complementary features, with a particular entangled particle instantaneously affect the state of the other,
research focus on enhancing network security. The phe- enabling correlations between measurements that cannot be
nomenon of entanglement is utilized for producing encryption explained by classical physics [3]. Quantum entanglement
keys, known as Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). QKD appears due to the principle of particle correlation, in which
(defined in section III-A) is a secure communication protocol the state of one particle is linked to the state of another,
that ensures the confidentiality of cryptographic keys by regardless of the distance between them.
leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics. Not only the pairs of particles, entanglement may also in-
Reviewing the principle, benefits and potential applica- volve multiple particles, known as multi-partite entanglement.
tions, this article provides a quick overview of quantum com- Nevertheless, it brings both opportunities and challenges.
munication, including a) the role of quantum communication Though the inclusion of multiple particles opens possibili-
ties for sophisticated quantum communication protocols and
Authors are with the Department of Electronics and Communication, Dr
B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar, India (e-mail: 1 This intrinsic connection is mainly utilized for information cloning,
{rohits, mukindraobr}@nitj.ac.in) leading to the development of quantum shift keying.
 2

Fig. 3. An illustration of classical information mapping and superposition

of information in qubits.

Fig. 2. An illustration of entangled particles and impact of measurement on

their states. movement of particles. As depicted in Fig. 1, quantum tele-
portation relies on the principles of quantum entanglement via
quantum computation algorithms, the complexity of entan- the following process: a) the fundamental steps of quantum
gled states increases with particles involved. In quantum teleportation involve the preparation of an entangled pair,
physics, the states of entangled particles are described by a known as an Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) pair, by sharing
joint wave-function, and changes in the state of one particle them between two distant locations, b) one of the entangled
instantaneously affect the state of its entangled counter- particles is then entangled with the quantum information to
part. Owing to distinct features of quantum entanglement, be transmitted2 , c) at the receiver end, the party can then use
researchers are exploring its role in various applications the transmitted information to recreate the original quantum
including quantum computing, where qubits can exist in state, completing the teleportation process.3
superposition states, enabling the parallel processing of vast Similar to the how classical shift keying encodes the infor-
amounts of information. Overall, quantum entanglement is mation either in phase, amplitude, or frequency, QSK applies
not just a theoretical idea and leads to the creation of quantum twist by manipulating quantum states on the basis
innovative technologies like quantum cryptography, quantum of encoded information. Unlike classical phase shift keying
teleportation, and quantum computation. (PSK) where variations in the phase of carrier waves serve as
the basis for encoding bits, QSK uses quantum states, such as
B. Quantum Superposition the polarization states of photons, which serves a carrier of
Quantum superposition is another key principle in quantum information. Besides, quantum enabled transmission provides
mechanics that challenges classical intuitions, allowing par- complementary benefits in terms of data security through
ticles to exist in multiple states simultaneously, as depicted QKD, preventing the unauthorized replication of information.
in Fig. 3. Moreover, the experimental validation of quantum Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR): The EPR paradox is
superposition is often justified through double-slit experi- rooted in the entanglement phenomenon. It is based on the
ments. When particles are directed through two slits, they fact that the correlated measurements on entangled particles
create an interference pattern on a detection screen, revealing can be made with certainty, even without disturbing the par-
that the particle travels through both slits simultaneously. ticles themselves. This led to the formulation of EPR, which
This interference phenomenon is a direct consequence of states that if the position and momentum of one particle are
the superposition of different quantum states. Thus, unlike known, the position and momentum of the entangled particle
classical physics systems with definite states, superposition can be predictable.
enables particles to be in multiple states at once, represented
by a linear combination of their individual states. This unique III. G ROUND B REAKING F EATURES , C HALLENGES , AND
feature arises from the wave nature of quantum entities, F UTURE P ROSPECTS
described by wave-functions. Previous section explored how the transmission through
Similar to entanglement, particles can be superpositioned quantum enabled framework redefines the ways we commu-
in a combination of many states, a property exploited in nicate, though their are also a few associated challenges [4].
quantum computing. Also, beyond quantum computing, it This section covers ground breaking features, challenges, and
plays a major role in quantum cryptography. This is enabled future prospects, associated to quantum communication.
through the manipulation of quantum states, offering the
secure exchange of information via QKD protocols. Until a
measurement is made , the particle is in a superposition of A. Quantum Key Distribution: Redefining Data Encryption
these states, highlighting the probabilistic nature of quantum By utilizing the phenomenon of quantum twist and corre-
systems. lation, QKD introduces a fundamental property of quantum
2 The state of the original particle is destroyed, and the information is
C. Quantum Teleportation
transmitted to the distant entangled particle.
Quantum teleportation allows the transfer of quantum 3 Despite the name “teleportation”, this process only transfers the infor-
information from one location to another without the physical mation associated with the quantum state, not the physical particle itself.
 3

quantum states has been achieved across a few kilometers

using optical fibres. As the information lies in orientation,
APPLICATION LINK preserving entanglement across substantial distances is quite
difficult. Specifically, entanglement is susceptible to losses
Plain Text Encryptor Decryptor Plain Text with the transmission length through optic channels that
limits the effective range of quantum communication [5].
CIPHER Nevertheless, these challenges may be addressed through
TEXT
KEY KEY
the successful recreation of entanglement links over shorter
QUANTUM
CHANNEL segments.4
QKD
MODULE CLASSICAL
QKD
MODULE
3) Quantum Satellite Communication: Quantum satellite
CHANNEL
communication leverages entangled photon pairs generated
Fig. 4. An illustration of data encryption through QKD. on board the satellite and transmitted to ground stations [6].
The use of benefits in terms of global coverage, while the
absence of fiber optic mitigates the issues of signal decoher-
mechanics known as the no-cloning theorem. This theorem ence. Besides, satellites can also be use as the third party
states that it is nearly impossible to create an identical copy sharing of secret keys among ground stations. Moreover, the
of an unknown quantum state. Consequently, any unautho- satellite integration bring several complementary benefits in
rized attempt to intercept the transmitted keys in QKD will terms of distributed quantum computing, paving the way for
unavoidably disturb the entangled particles, thereby alerting advanced applications in quantum information processing on
legitimate users to the presence of eavesdroppers. This inher- a global scale.
ent feature of QKD ensures that any illicit acquisition of the
key by eavesdroppers cannot occur without being detected. IV. C ONCLUSION
The unbreakable link mentioned in the user’s text serves as This article provides a quick overview of quantum com-
the fundamental basis for quantum cryptography, which in munication including basic principles, benfits, challenges and
turn establishes the groundwork for ensuring secure quantum future direction. Overall, quantum communication holds great
communication. promise and intends to offer a more efficient and stable
transmission of information in the form of quantum bits,
B. Quantum Communication and 6G and Beyond commonly referred to as qubits. Besides, quantum commu-
Based on the principles of quantum mechanics, quantum nication is intended to evolve in the near future a lot via
communication holds immense potential for the upcoming optimizations, machine learning and cryptography. Moreover,
wireless generations. This section covers potential advances as the technology matures and becomes more accessible, it is
through the inclusion of quantum theory under the realm of expected to be increasingly used in industries such as finance
6G. Researchers are making significant efforts to prove the and healthcare, where it can be used to analyse large amounts
realization of quantum-based transmission, though yet there is of data and make more accurate predictions.
no evidence confirming the consensus on the use of quantum
communication for the upcoming wireless generation. The R EFERENCES
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