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For the widest possible and mobile Internet coverage, wireless communications are essential. But due to the open nature of wireless transmissions, information security is a unique issue of challenge. The widely deployed methods for information security are based on digital encryption, which in turn requires two or more legitimate parties to share a secret key.

The distribution of a secrecy key via zero-distance physical contact is inconvenient in general and impossible in situations where too little time is available. The conventional solution to this challenge is to use the public-key infrastructure, or PKI, for secret key distribution. Yet, PKI is based on computational hardness of factoring, for example, which is known to be increasingly threatened by quantum computing. Some predictions suggest that such a threat could become a reality within 15 years.

In order to provide Internet coverage for every possible spot on the planet, such as remote islands and mountains, a low-orbiting satellite communication network is rapidly being developed. A satellite can transmit or receive streams of digital information to or from terrestrial stations. But the geographical exposure of these streams is large and easily prone to eavesdropping. For applications such as satellite communications, how can we guarantee information security even if quantum computers become readily available in the near future?

Yingbo Huas Lab of Signals, Systems and Networks in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, which has been supported in part by Army, has aimed to develop reliable and secure transmission, or RESET, schemes for future wireless networks. RESET guarantees that the secret information is not only received reliably by legitimate receiver but also secure from eavesdropper with any channel superiority.

In particular, Huas Lab has developed a physical layer encryption method that could be immune to the threat of quantum computing. They are actively engaged in further research of this and other related methods.

For the physical layer encryption proposed by Huas lab, only partial information is extracted from randomized matrices such as the principal singular vector of each matrix modulated by secret physical feature approximately shared by legitimate parties. The principal singular vector of a matrix is not a reversible function of the matrix. This seems to suggest that a quantum computer is unable to perform a task that is rather easy on a classical computer. If this is true, then the physical layer encryption should be immune from attacks via quantum computing. Unlike the number theory based encryption methods which are vulnerable to quantum attacks, Huas physical layer encryption is based on continuous encryption functions that are still yet to be developed.

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Better encryption for wireless privacy at the dawn of quantum computing - UC Riverside

By making use of the 'spooky' laws behind quantum entanglement, physicists think have found a way to make information leap between a pair of electrons separated by distance.

Teleporting fundamental states between photonsmassless particles of light is quickly becoming old news, a trick we are still learning to exploit in computing and encrypted communications technology.

But what the latest research has achieved is quantum teleportation between particles of matter electrons something that could help connect quantum computing with the more traditional electronic kind.

"We provide evidence for 'entanglement swapping,' in which we create entanglement between two electrons even though the particles never interact, and 'quantum gate teleportation,' a potentially useful technique for quantum computing using teleportation," says physicist John Nichol from the University of Rochester in New York.

"Our work shows that this can be done even without photons."

Entanglement is physics jargon for what seems like a pretty straightforward concept.

If you buy a pair of shoes from a shop and leave one behind, you'll automatically know which foot it belongs to the moment you get home. The shoes are in a manner of speaking entangled.

If the shopkeeper randomly pulls out its matching partner when you return, you'll think they either remembered your sale, made a lucky guess, or were perhaps a little 'spooky' in their prediction.

The real weirdness arises when we imagine your lonely shoe as being both left and right at the same time, at least until you look at it. At that very moment, the shoe's partner back at the shop also snaps into shape, as if your sneaky peek teleported across that distance.

It's a kind of serendipitous exchange that Einstein felt was a little too spooky for comfort. Nearly a century after physicists raised the possibility, we now know teleportation between entangled particles is how the Universe works on a fundamental level.

While it's not exactly a Star Trek-type teleportation that could beam whole objects across space, the mathematics describing this information jump are mighty useful in carrying out special kinds of calculations in computing.

Typical computer logic is made up of a binary language of bits, labelled either 1s and 0s. Quantum computing is built with qubits that can occupy both states at once providing far greater possibilities that classical technology can't touch.

The problem is the Universe is like a big jumble of shoes, all threatening to turn your delicate game of 'guess which foot' into a nightmare gamble the moment any qubit interacts with its environment.

Manipulating photons to transmit their entangled states is made easier thanks to the fact they can be quickly separated at light speed over huge distances through a vacuum or down an optical fibre.

But separating entangled masses such as pairs of electrons is more of a challenge, given their clunky interactions as they bounce along are almost certain to ruin their mathematically pure quantum state.

It's a challenge well worth the effort, though.

"Individual electrons are promising qubits because they interact very easily with each other, and individual electron qubits in semiconductors are also scalable," saysNichol.

"Reliably creating long-distance interactions between electrons is essential for quantum computing."

To achieve it, the team of physicists and engineers took advantage of some strange fine print in the laws that govern the ways the fundamental particles making up atoms and molecules hold their place.

Any two electrons that share the same quantum spin state can't occupy the same spot in space. But there is a bit of a loophole that says nearby electrons can swap their spins, almost as if your feet could swap shoes if you bring them close enough.

The researchers had previously shownthat this exchange can be manipulated without needing to move the electrons at all, presenting a potential method for teleportation.

This latest advance helps bring the process closer to technological reality, overcoming hurdles that would connect quantum weirdness with existing computing technology.

"We provide evidence for 'entanglement swapping,' in which we create entanglement between two electrons even though the particles never interact, and 'quantum gate teleportation,' a potentially useful technique for quantum computing using teleportation," says Nichol.

"Our work shows that this can be done even without photons."

Of course, we're still some way off replacing photons with electrons for this kind of quantum information transfer. The researchers haven't gone as far as measuring the states of electrons themselves, meaning there could still be all kinds of interference to iron out.

But having strong evidence of the possibility of teleportation between electrons is an encouraging sign of the possibilities open to future engineers.

This research was published in Nature Communications.

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Physicists Just Quantum Teleported Information Between Particles of Matter - ScienceAlert

Ed Heinbockel, president and chief executive officer of SavantX, said hes excited about how a powerful new generation of quantum computers can bring practical solutions to industries such as trucking and cargo transport.

With quantum computing, Im very keen on this, because Im a firm believer that its a step change technology, Heinbockel said. Its going to rewrite the way that we live and the way we work.

Heinbockel referred to recent breakthroughs such as Googles quantum supremacy, a demonstration where a programmable quantum processor solved a problem that no classical computer could feasibly solve.

In October 2019, Googles quantum processor, named Sycamore, performed a computation in 200 seconds that would have taken the worlds fastest supercomputer 10,000 years to solve, according to Google.

Jackson, Wyoming-based SavantX also recently formed a partnership with D-Wave Systems Inc., a Burnaby, Canada-based company that develops and offers quantum computing systems, software and services.

With D-Waves quantum services, SavantX has begun offering its Hyper Optimization Nodal Efficiency (HONE) technology to solve optimization problems to customers such as the Pier 300 container terminal project at the Port of Los Angeles.

The project, which began last year, is a partnership between SavantX, Blume Global and Fenix Marine Services. The projects goal is to optimize logistics on the spacing and placement of shipping containers to better integrate with inbound trucks and freight trains. The Pier 300 site handles 1.2 million container lifts per year.

With Pier 300, when do you need trucks at the pier and when and how do you get them scheduled optimally?, Heinbockel said. So the appointing part of it is very important and that is a facet of HONE technology.

Heinbockel added, Were very excited about the Pier 300 project, because HONE is a generalized technology. Then its a question of what other systems can we optimize? In all modes of transportation, the winners are going to be those that can minimize the energy in the systems; energy reduction. Thats all about optimization.

Heinbockel co-founded SavantX in 2015 with David Ostby, the companys chief science officer. SavantX offers data collection and visualization tools for industries ranging from healthcare to nuclear energy to transportation.

Heinbockel also recently announced SavantX will be relocating its corporate research headquarters to Santa Fe, New Mexico. The new center, which could eventually include 100 employees, will be focused on the companys HONE technology and customizing it for individual clients.

Heinbockel said SavantX has been talking to trucking, transportation and aviation companies about how HONE can help solve issues such as driver retention and optimizing schedules.

One of the problems Ive been hearing consistently from trucking companies is that they hire somebody. The HR department tells the new employee well have you home every Thursday night, Heinbockel said. Then you get onto a Friday night or Saturday, and [the driver] is still not home.

Heinbockel said if quantum computing and HONE can be used to help trucking companies with driver retention, and that it will make a lot of companies happy.

Heinbockel said cross-border operations could use HONE to understand what the flow patterns are like for commercial trucks crossing through different ports at various times of the day.

You would optimize your trucking flow based on when those lax periods were at those various ports, or you could ask yourself, is it cheaper for me to send a truck 100 miles out of the way to another port, knowing that it can get right through that port without having to sit for two or three hours in queue, Heinbockel said.

Click for more FreightWaves articles byNoi Mahoney.

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Tech company uses quantum computers to help shipping and trucking industries - FreightWaves

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Kelsea Best, a Ph.D. student in Earth and Environmental Sciences, has been awarded a graduate student pursuit grant from the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center to study the human impacts of climate change. Best is leading a team of graduate students fromseveral universities across the U.S. to study connections between climate change and displacement of people in coastal areas of the United States, with financial support for travel, high-performance computational resources and stipends provided by SESYNC.

David Curie, a third-year physics Ph.D. student, has received anOffice of Science Graduate Student Research Fellowshipto conduct part of his dissertation research in a Department of Energy laboratory. Curies work focuses on single-photon sources, which can be used inquantum communicationsand possibly quantum computing.

E. Bronson Ingram College was named the Best Higher Education/Research project for 2019 by Engineering News-Record magazine.

Brandt Eichman, William R. Kenan, Jr. Chair in Biological Sciences and professor of biochemistry, will receive the 2021 International Award from the Biochemical Society, the United Kingdoms leading organization of biochemists. The award, whichrecognizes outstanding and independent research that demonstrates the importance of the molecular biosciences, is given annually to an early- to mid-career scientist who has conducted research outside the U.K. and Ireland.

Mary Jo Gilmer, professor of nursing, has been selected for induction into the International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame by Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. The honor, which recognizes significant, sustained international achievement, is considered one of the highest honors in nursing research.

Kathryn Humphreys, assistant professor of psychology and human development, has received a 2020 Janet Taylor Spence Award from the Association for Psychological Science. The award recognizes early-career researchers who have made transformative contributions to the field of psychological science, such as establishing new paradigms within a subject area or advancing research that cuts across fields of study.

Karan Jani, a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has been recognized as an All-Star Alumnus by Forbes for his research on black holes. Jani was named to Forbes30 Under 30Science list in 2017.

Jonathan Metzl, Frederick B. Rentschler II Professor of Sociology and Medicine, Health and Society, has received the 2020 Benjamin Rush Award from the American Psychiatric Association. The award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions to the literature on the history of psychiatry.

Dawool (Lauren) Nam, a senior majoring in chemistry, has received the 2019-20 Girls in STEM Scholarship Award from Girls Who STEM, the mission of which is to increase access and participation of girls in STEM fields and to promote and support girls and women in STEM projects, areas of study and professions.

Roberta Nelson, assistant director of the Office of LGBTQI Life, has received the Promising New Professional Award from the Consortium of LGBT Resource Professionals. The award recognizes a professional with less than five years of experience for outstanding service, innovative or creative effort within the profession, and demonstration of significant promise for leadership in the field.

Laura Nichols, a first-year physics Ph.D. student, has received a Computational Science Graduate Fellowship in overall support of her dissertation research in computational physics. TheCSGF fellowship, awarded to only about 30 individuals nationally per year, supports Ph.D. candidates in the computational sciencesthose who use computer programming to solve problems in scientific disciplines such as physics, biology and chemistry.

Sokrates Pantelides, William A. and Nancy F. McMinn Professor of Physics and professor of electrical engineering, was one of three international scientists honored with the 2019 Award for International Scientific Cooperation by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. A pioneer in the field of semiconductor physics, Pantelides has carried out substantive cooperation with the CAS in developing new low-dimensional materials over the past two decades. In addition, Pantelides was named an honorary professor by Galgotias University in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India, in conjunction with a talk he gave at an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers conference in nearby Lucknow.

Cleo Rucker, director of human resources consulting, employee and labor relations, has been appointed to the Metro Nashville Employee Benefits Study and Formulating Committee by Mayor John Cooper. The committees charge is to study and formulate a plan for employee benefits, including disability and retirement benefits, for Metro Nashville employees.

Keivan Stassun, Stevenson Chair in Physics and professor of astronomy and computer science, has been named an inaugural fellow of the American Astronomical Society, the major organization of professional astronomers in North America. The designation recognizes AAS members for extraordinary achievement and service, such as original research and publication, innovative contributions to astronomical techniques or instrumentation, significant contributions to education and public outreach, and noteworthy service to astronomy and to the society itself.

Steven Townsend, assistant professor of chemistry, has been named a Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar for 2020. These faculty are within the first five years of their academic careers, have created an outstanding independent body of scholarship, and are deeply committed to education.

Kip Viscusi, University Distinguished Professor of Law, Economics and Management, has received the American Risk and Insurance Associations 2020 Kulp-Wright Book Award for Pricing Lives: Guideposts for a Safer Society. The award recognizes a risk management and insurance book or monograph that advances the body of knowledge toward new frontiers.

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Kudos: Read about faculty, staff and student awards, appointments and achievements - Vanderbilt University News

The CBI has called on the government to take a strategic, ambitious and expeditious approach to its policy decisions and long-term strategies to support the innovation economy.

In its Building a world-class innovation and digital economy report, the CBI warned that innovation will not realise its full potential without widespread adoption. Research highlighted in the report points to a lack of adoption of tried and tested innovation.

According to the CBI, in 2017, the proportion of UK businesses with basic digital capabilities including websites, internet trading capabilities, customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning systems were lower than the proportion of Danish businesses that had adopted them eight years earlier, in 2009.

The CBI said that this failure to adopt and diffuse innovation throughout the economy has contributed to the UKs relatively low productivity levels and has made it more challenging for some firms to adapt to changes brought about by the coronavirus.

The CBI reported that compared to other European countries, the UK ranked 16th out of 36 in terms of the adoption of product or process innovation in small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs).

As the UK leaves Europe, the government has proposed a Shared Prosperity Fund to replace the 2.1bn funding structural funding it receives from the EU, which is used to boost economic development, including support for businesses, employment and agriculture.

The CBI recommended thatthe department for business energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government urgently deliver the UK Shared Prosperity Fund over the next year to support SME innovation adoption, fully replacing European funding and simplifying access.

It also recommended that BEIS deliver a bold end-to-end research and innovation strategy, including expanding Innovate UKs remit to support businesses to adopt innovation. This will help to create a systematic approach to innovation support, ensuring the UK can convert its world-leadingresearch and development (R&D) capabilities into commercial success.

Building on the need for a joined-up R&D policy, the CBI called on the government to set out a bold and systematic approach on key emerging technologies. It suggested that distributed ledger technology (DLT) should top the list as the cutting-edge innovation most set to make an impact in the next five years, along with quantum computing and augmented/virtual reality (AR /VR).

It urged policymakers to draw on the evidence and expertise of UK Research & Innovation, the Office for Science, and departmental chief scientific advisers to scan the horizon and identify the most important emerging technologies to target.

When reforming policies, the CBI suggested that the government learn from international good practice, trial new approaches and be prepared to take risks with innovation funding.

It also said policymakers should also prioritise measures that maximise private sector R&D activity and investment in the UK.

The reports authors wrote: Improving the environment for business R&D must be the central focus for government action. There are also real opportunities to redress regional economic inequality through strategic R&D investment. Investment is currently highly concentrated in certain parts of the UK with three regions accounting for 52% of gross spend.

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CBI: Government must take steps to drive SME business innovation - ComputerWeekly.com