A consortium of German researchers has successfully transmitted individual photons from a moving aircraft, captured them in a mobile ground station, and verified their quantum states.

The experiment, a key part of Germany’s QuNET initiative, marks a critical step towards building a global, tap-proof quantum communication network.

The research team successfully measured various quantum channels between the aircraft and the ground, sent the light particles to a sophisticated ion trap, and tested technologies vital for quantum key distribution (QKD).