QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY - HOW TO BEAT THE CODE BREAKERS USING QUANTUM-MECHANICS

In a series of recent experiments a radical new technique has been dem onstrated that could have far-reaching consequences for the way in whi ch the confidentiality and integrity of our networks is protected. Thi s technique, known as quantum cryptography, is the result of a synthes is of ideas from fundamental quantum physics and classical encryption and has lead to a radical new approach to the business of secure commu nications. We review the origins of and developments in this rapidly g rowing field and assess the current status of both the theory and the experiments.