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Physicists have found that E.T. can indeed phone home, and he should have great reception too.
Sending messages through interstellar space using quantum communication is possible, a new study has found.
A team from the University of Edinburgh ran calculations on the movement of X-rays across the emptiness of space to see if they would encounter any obstructions.
Quantum particles, like photons of light, are fragile and could easily break down if they meet any kind of interference, like from a gravitational field.
However it was determined that the quanta could survive travelling hundreds of thousands of light-years at least – a greater stretch of distance than the entire Milky Way galaxy.
Extraterrestrial life could send messages through interstellar space using quantum communications, physicists from the University of Edinburgh have found
Quantum communication systems are faster and more secure than regular networks because they use photons rather than computer code. The lack of obstacles in space means that it is possible to beam messages across hundreds of thousands of light-years at least
Over the past few years, scientists around the world have been investigating using quantum communication here on Earth.
Quantum tech employs the effects of quantum physics – the nature of matter at the atomic and subatomic levels – for advances in communications.
Quantum communication systems are faster and more secure than regular networks because they use photons rather than computer code, which can be hacked.
It is hoped the technology could provide an ‘unhackable’, high-speed internet in the future.
However, the largest roadblock for implementing the quantum systems is how susceptible they are to ‘decoherence’.
This is when a quantum particle loses some or all of its unique characteristics as it interacts with its surroundings.
Potential obstacles include the gravitational field of large planets or stars, cosmic dust, solar winds and other particle content in the interstellar medium.
In the paper, published last month in Physical Review D, the physicists describe their calculations that prove that quantum particles could be beamed over large interstellar distances.
They used astronomical data and mathematical models to describe the movement of X-Rays between roughly a hundred relatively nearby exoplanets and Earth.
It was concluded that this distance probably wouldn’t present very disruptive obstacles to the quanta.
This is largely due to the ‘cleaner’ environment in space than on Earth, as the average density of matter is much smaller.
Therefore the likelihood of a quantum particle being knocked off course while moving through space is much lower.
The researchers wrote: ‘It is plausible that quantum communication mediated by photons could be established across interstellar distances, in particular for photons in the X-ray region below the electron mass.’
As well as X-rays, they noted that photons of microwaves and optical light would also be feasible.
Quanta are also still limited by only being able to travel at the speed of light, 186,282 miles per second, meaning messages would still take years to cover inter-planetary distances
The level of information that can be securely transferred using quanta at high speeds could make it a viable method of communication to other life forms, according to the researchers.
There are currently no known objects that naturally transmit quantum messages that could be mistaken for alien signals, the researchers claim.
But it would require a powerful quantum computer on Earth to decode any, and we would have to make assumptions about the encryption codes.
Quanta are also still limited by only being able to travel at the speed of light, 186,282 miles per second, meaning messages would still take years to cover inter-planetary distances.
It is currently only speculation, but the research does give experts another sign of life to look out for.
Quantum teleportation is also suggested as a potential way of sending quantum information ’emitted by an extraterrestrial civilisation’.
This is where the properties of a distant particle can be transferred to another across space, and requires both classical and quantum signals.
The physicists wrote that extraterrestrial life may prefer this, as it ‘could provide a better signature for detection’, and any scientists on the lookout should be checking for both.
They added: ‘In principle, it should be possible to detect a quantum signal coming from an astrophysical body or even an intelligent signal from an extraterrestrial civilisation.’