Although other researchers have teleported quantum particles further, they did so in free space as opposed to fiber-optic lines.

The quantum states of an object are captured and then the information is transmitted to another area immediately, mainly recreating the exact object in another space.

Quantum teleportation involves the transfer, or remote reconstruction, of information encoded in quantum states of matter or light.

Hiroki Takesue, lead author of the study and NTT researcher in Japan, explained that the experiment was successful because the team had access to state-of-the-art photon detectors designed by NIST. The NIST scientists have shown that they can transfer the quantum state from one photon, down 102 kilometers – that’s over 60 miles – of spooled optical fiber in the lab, to another photon. You could use unbreakable quantum encryption at inter-city distances, for instance.

It may sound like a logical step to send quantum information down fiber optic cable after all, it’s how much of the world’s data is now sent.

“Only about 1 percent of photons make it all the way through 100 km of fiber”, said Marty Stevens, one of the researchers, in a news release. It was only possible thanks to newer detectors that could pick up the faint signal of the lone light particle. The new NTT/NIST teleportation technique could be used to make devices called quantum repeaters that could resend data periodically in order to extend network reach, perhaps enough to eventually build a “quantum internet”.

To break the distance record, the NIST had to use a very sensitive detector, one that could detect single photons. However, scientists have been experimenting since 1998 with quantum teleporting. The experiments were performed at wavelengths commonly used in telecommunications.

Yet, the photon-based teleportation method needs to be improved since in just 25 percent of cases transmissions are successful. All experimental runs with different starting properties exceeded the mathematically significant 66.7 percent threshold for proving the quantum nature of the teleportation process. However, scientists at the US’ National Institute of Standards and Technology have managed to one-up that feat.