Quantum cryptography: yesterday, today, and tomorrow
Quantum cryptography is one of those amazing tools that came along before anyone really asked for it. Somehow there are companies out there selling very high end, and "provably secure" cryptography gear, all based on fundamental principles of quantum mechanics. Yet, despite being fundamentally unbreakable, there have been quite a few publications on more-or-less practical ways for Eve to eavesdrop on people whispering quantum sweet-nothings in darkened rooms.
As a bemused onlooker, I jumped on the TGV train from Paris to journey to the heart of quantum key distribution (QKD): Geneva. Geneva is where QKD was deployed in real-world demonstrations, it is the base of Id Quantique, a company that specializes in quantum physics based security products, and it is home to University of Geneva's GAP-Optique, a power house of quantum optics research.
My goal was to discover what all the fuss was about. Who buys a QKD distribution system? Why do they bother? If QKD becomes ubiquitous, where is the battle between white and black hats going to be played out, and how will that battle change? What is the future of QKD research?
