How scientists sent quantum light through everyday fiber cables and why it could change the future of communication
New York, 9 February 2026 – In 2024, scientists achieved something once thought impossible. They successfully teleported a quantum state of light across more than 30 kilometers of standard fiber-optic cable while that same cable was carrying massive amounts of internet traffic.
This breakthrough will not help people teleport to work or stream videos faster. But it marks a major turning point in how future communication systems could work. It opens the door to ultra-secure networks, quantum-connected computers, and powerful new sensing technologies.
The research was led by Prem Kumar, a computing engineer at Northwestern University. For years, scientists believed quantum information would require its own specialized infrastructure, completely separate from today’s internet cables. This experiment proved that assumption wrong.
What quantum teleportation really means
Quantum teleportation does not move physical objects from one place to another. Instead, it transfers the exact quantum state of a particle, such as a photon of light, from one location to another.
To do this, the original quantum state is destroyed, and its properties are recreated at a distant location using a phenomenon called quantum entanglement. Although this process sounds like science fiction, it is based on established physics and has already been demonstrated in laboratories.
The biggest challenge has always been interference. Quantum states are extremely fragile. Heat, vibrations, and electromagnetic noise can quickly disrupt them, causing the information to collapse. Sending a quantum signal through fiber optic cables filled with emails, bank transactions, and streaming data was long considered unrealistic.
Why this experiment mattered
Modern fiber optic cables carry enormous volumes of classical data, sometimes hundreds of gigabits per second. A single quantum photon traveling through that environment is incredibly vulnerable.
To solve this problem, the researchers closely studied how light behaves inside busy fiber networks. They selected specific wavelengths where interference was naturally lower. By carefully controlling the photon’s path, they protected its quantum state even while normal internet traffic flowed through the same cable.
This marked the first time quantum teleportation was achieved using real-world internet infrastructure instead of laboratory simulations.
Why does this change the future of communication?
This experiment shows that quantum communication and classical internet data can coexist on the same physical networks. That insight removes one of the biggest barriers to expanding quantum technologies.
In practical terms, this could lead to extremely secure communication systems, distributed quantum computing networks, and advanced sensing tools for science and industry.
Most importantly, it suggests that future quantum networks may not require building entirely new infrastructure. Existing fiber optic systems could be upgraded to support both classical and quantum information.
A step closer to the quantum internet
Quantum teleportation is a key building block for what researchers call the quantum internet. This is a future network where information is shared using the laws of quantum physics.
By proving that quantum states can travel safely through today’s internet cables, this research brings that vision closer to reality. As quantum computing, quantum encryption, and quantum networking continue to evolve, this breakthrough may be remembered as the moment quantum communication moved out of the lab and into the real world.
