Images of Research: Innovation for the global good
Shedding light on communication security
Category: Digital connections
![A 3D graphic representation of orbital angular momentum showing a circle of peaks going from red at the base through the spectrum of light, to magenta at the top A 3D graphic representation of orbital angular momentum showing a circle of peaks going from red at the base through the spectrum of light, to magenta at the top](/media/1newwebsite/1imagesofresearch/entrypageimages/2019/Aidan_Arnold_landscape.png)
Digital communication has never been more prevalent but security remains a real issue with the ability of secure coding – encryption – to be unlocked by sophisticated software and powerful computers. Quantum physics can create completely secure communications but is much slower than current encryption methods. Strathclyde and Glasgow physicists are exploring orbital angular momentum (OAM) of light (pictured); with its infinite alphabet, it could be key to creating fast, unhackable communications.
Entrant: Aidan Arnold , Physics
Copyright: Aidan Arnold
Funding: Leverhulme Trust (RPG-2013-386) and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), grant number: EP/M506643/1
Collaborators: Rachel Offer (PhD student - generated the experimental data)
Links
Entrant profile: https://pureportal.strath.ac.uk/en/persons/aidan-arnold