This year's laureates were recognised for their groundbreaking contributions to the development of quantum cryptography and quantum information theory. Quantum computing is a fascinating field that combines physics and computer science – it explores how the quantum properties of matter can be used to process and transmit information in ways impossible to achieve using classical methods.
The names of Bennett and Brassard are inextricably linked to the BB84 protocol – the first method of ensuring communication confidentiality through quantum mechanics. Proposed in 1984, the protocol allows for the transmission of a one-time cryptographic key using the quantum properties of photons. Remarkably, the principles of quantum mechanics enable the detection of any attempt to eavesdrop on such a transmission. The invention of BB84 is considered the birth of quantum cryptography, with devices now commercially available.
Bennett and Brassard have also contributed to the development of other areas of quantum computing, including co-authoring a paper that described for the first time the possibility of quantum state teleportation, i.e., transmitting quantum information in a way that seemed like science fiction just a few decades ago.
The awarding of the Turing Award in 2026, following the Nobel Prizes in Physics in 2022 and 2025, underscores the fundamental and practical importance of research utilizing the quantum properties of matter. It's not just theory – it's technology that will transform how we protect and process information in the future.
Source: dr hab. Paweł Caban, Associate Professor at the University of Lodz
