Quantum cryptography: State-of-art, challenges and future perspectives

With quantum computing, we are witnessing an exciting and very promising merging of three of the deepest and most successful scientific and technological developments of modern era: quantum physics, computer science, and nanotechnology. Quantum computers have the potential to perform certain calculations billions of times faster than any silicon-based computer. A functional quantum computer will be invaluable in factoring large numbers, and therefore extremely useful for decoding and encoding secret information. In this paper we have discussed contemporary cryptographic systems and their strengths and drawbacks. Two of the most common quantum key distribution protocols have been explained. This is followed by a note on the experimental realizations of quantum key distribution and the associated technological challenges. A few novel extensions of this concept in the future have also been dealt with. This paper aims at familiarizing the reader with the field of quantum cryptography and gives an insight about the latest developments.