Toshiba developing quantum repeater

Toshiba is developing a device it hopes will allow for global quantum key distribution.

The company is developing a quantum repeater, a device to regenerate a "http:="" community.zdnet.co.uk="" blog="" 0,1000000567,10009489o-2000331828b,00.htm"="">quantum key once quantum entanglement has been split into channels for transmission.

"The device is under development," said Andrew Shields, group leader of Toshiba's quantum information technology group. "We have a European collaboration."

Shields said that another technology important for extending the range of quantum key distribution was the use of satellites, but his team was focused on fibre-optics.