Brent E. Little

The quantum network works like a series of turnstiles that open only for a pair of perfectly synchronized photons. The central node tells them which turnstile to go to, but cannot forge the synchronization. 200 users can communicate with each other over distances up to 200 km — about the size of a large city.

A conductor raises the baton, and the orchestra produces not just sound but a complex score: each note sounds at its own moment, at its own pitch, with the right volume. Light can also be a score, if you control its spectrum and timing. Previously, this required bulky setups that could not be reconfigured after assembly.