[LINK] To catch a fiber optic spy, look at a single photon

[Tony Barry]

Source: Edupage, 5 June 2000

TO CATCH A FIBER OPTIC SPY, LOOK AT A SINGLE PHOTON
Technology for providing secure satellite transmissions for
customers may be close to being realized, according to senior
scientist Andrew J. Shields of Toshiba Research Europe Ltd.
(TREL).  Shields announced on May 10 at the Conference on Lasers
and Electro-Optics that his team of researchers at the TREL
facility had created a chip to protect information from hackers.
The chip employs quantum cryptography that allows the receiver of
the transmission to notice any change in photon characteristics,
which would indicate that the message had been picked up by an
eavesdropper.  The recipient of the message then could notify the
sender to stop transmitting.  Shield says his company plans to
make quantum cryptography commercially available by about 2005.
(Business Week, 29 May 2000)
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