By harnessing quantum effects, we nowadays can use encryption that is in principle proven to withstand any conceivable attack. These fascinating quantum features have been implemented in metropolitan quantum networks around the world. In order to interconnect such networks over long distances, optical satellite communication is the method of choice. Standard telecommunication components allow one to efficiently implement quantum communication by measuring field quadratures (continuous variables). This opens the possibility to adapt our Laser Communication Terminals (LCTs) to quantum key distribution (QKD). First satellite measurement campaigns are currently validating our approach.
@article{arxiv.1510.04507,
title = {Satellite Quantum Communication via the Alphasat Laser Communication Terminal},
author = {Dominique Elser and Kevin Günthner and Imran Khan and Birgit Stiller and Christoph Marquardt and Gerd Leuchs and Karen Saucke and Daniel Tröndle and Frank Heine and Stefan Seel and Peter Greulich and Herwig Zech and Björn Gütlich and Ines Richter and Rolf Meyer},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1510.04507},
year = {2016}
}
Comments
International Conference on Space Optical Systems and Applications (IEEE ICSOS 2015), October 27 and 28, 2015, New Orleans, USA, 4 pages, 5 figures