Metrology for Industrial Quantum Communications.
MIQC is a metrology framework that will foster development and market take-up of quantum communication technologies aimed at achieving maximum impact for the European industry in this area.
The project is focused on Quantum Key Distribution technologies which is the most advanced towards practical application. Quantum key distribution is a way of sending cryptographic keys with absolute security. It does this by exploiting the ability to encode photons with quantum states that are noticeably disturbed if an eavesdropper is present in the channel. QKD kits are available commercially and in that respect the EU is a world lead.
With the internet explosion, data security is at a greater risk than ever. Bank transactions, medical record storage and transfer, IP are just some examples of the need for data security. Faster computers also pose a threat to data encryption. These are the drivers pushing the development of QKD. However, there are currently no independent measurement standards and definitions for this industry and MIQC aims to address this.
