“Quantum cryptography allows us to send secret messages with the assurance that no one has eavesdropped on them”

After receiving the 12th BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Basic Sciences, Charles Bennett explains in this interview how the principles of information and quantum physics intertwine to underpin cryptography and information processing in quantum systems. Drawing on his pioneering work in quantum information theory, he describes how concepts such as entanglement and reversible computational logic challenge the classical limits of computing and open new horizons for security, communication, and energy efficiency in technology. His perspective underscores the importance of connecting theoretical foundations with applications that can transform how we process and protect information.

The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Basic Sciences has gone in this twelfth edition to Charles Bennett, Gilles Brassard and Peter Shor for their “outstanding contributions to the field of quantum computation and communication,” said the committee in its citation.