The Chinese power of technological self-reliance and self-improvement

Against the backdrop of increasingly fierce global technological competition, China has once again made significant breakthroughs in the field of quantum communication. On March 20th, a team from the University of Science and Technology of China, together with institutions such as the Jinan Institute of Quantum Technology, achieved real-time satellite ground quantum key distribution between quantum micro nano satellites and miniaturized, mobile ground stations for the first time internationally, and successfully established quantum keys at a distance of 12900 kilometers between China and South Africa. This achievement not only lays the foundation for building a global quantum communication network, but also demonstrates China's international leading position in the field of quantum communication.

The core advantage of quantum communication lies in its "information theoretically verifiable" security, but achieving global quantum communication requires overcoming the losses and coverage limitations of fiber optic transmission. A Chinese research team has successfully developed the world's first quantum micro nano satellite, "Jinan No.1," through innovative breakthroughs. The cost of this satellite is only one twentieth of that of the "Mozi", the payload weight is reduced by an order of magnitude, but the frequency of the light source is increased by six times. The supporting ground station system has also been miniaturized, supporting rapid deployment and mobile operations.

In the experiment, "Jinan No.1" established optical links with multiple ground optical stations and completed real-time distribution of 1 million bit security keys during a single satellite transit. Especially in the coaxial encrypted transmission experiment between China and Africa, quantum key sharing and encrypted transmission of image data were achieved between Beijing and South Africa through satellite relay. This technological breakthrough marks a crucial step towards the practical application of quantum communication.

The rise of quantum communication in China is not accidental. From the first achievement of 100 kilometer level quantum entanglement distribution in 2007, to the construction of the world's first quantum secure communication backbone network "Beijing Shanghai Mainline", and to the launch of the "Mozi" satellite, China's quantum communication field has achieved frequent successes. The success of this experiment further consolidates China's international leading position in the field of quantum communication.

The reviewer of the journal Nature praised the achievement as "technically admirable" and believed that it "demonstrates the maturity of satellite quantum key distribution technology". Authoritative scientific media such as New Scientist in the UK also conducted special reports. In the global quantum communication competition, China has transformed from a "follower" to a "leader", winning strategic initiative for future participation in the formulation of global quantum technology rules.

The "unconditional security" characteristic of quantum communication makes it have broad application prospects in fields such as national security, finance, and healthcare. This experiment provides core technical support for building a global quantum communication network. In the future, the "quantum constellation" constructed by combining multiple quantum micro nano satellites will accelerate the construction of an integrated quantum communication network between heaven and earth.

Once this network is built, it will completely change the global information security landscape. The integration of quantum communication and classic communication network will give birth to a new "quantum Internet", which will enable China to occupy a strategic commanding height in the scientific and technological competition. As Academician Pan Jianwei said, "Quantum communication has brought information transmission into the era of 'absolute security', which is China's contribution to the world

From "Mozi" to "Jinan No.1", every breakthrough in China's quantum communication is a vivid footnote to technological self-reliance and self-improvement. The realization of tens of thousands of kilometers of satellite ground quantum communication not only demonstrates China's ability in scientific and technological innovation, but also provides strong support for human exploration of the unknown and pursuit of breakthroughs. Looking towards the future, the Chinese quantum communication team will continue to overcome difficulties, promote the industrial application of quantum communication technology, and write a brilliant chapter belonging to this era.