Industrial technologies based on the production, manipulation, and detection of single and entangled photons are emerging, and quantum key distribution via optical fibre is one of the most commercially-advanced. The National Physical Laboratory is developing traceable performance metrology for the quantum devices used in these technologies. This is part of a broader effort to develop metrological techniques and standards to accelerate the development and commercial uptake of new industrial quantum communication technologies based on single photons. This presentation will give an overview of the work carried out at NPL and within the wider European community, and highlight plans for the future.
Industrial technologies based on the production, manipulation, and detection of single and entangled photons are emerging, and quantum key distribution via optical fibre is one of the most commercially-advanced. The National Physical Laboratory is developing traceable performance metrology for the quantum devices used in these technologies. This is part of a broader effort to develop metrological techniques and standards to accelerate the development and commercial uptake of new industrial quantum communication technologies based on single photons. This presentation will give an overview of the work carried out at NPL and within the wider European community, and highlight plans for the future.
Quantum optical information technologies such as key distribution systems for secure communications, which are based on the discrete and quantum properties of photons, are now commercial products. Market take-up of these and other developing quantum technologies will be compromised unless there are traceable measurements to validate the performance of these devices. We highlight some ongoing collaborative research that will provide the required high accuracy techniques for the few and single photon regime, including operation at telecom wavelengths.
Quantum communication exploits the transmission of information encoded by single quanta or via the quantum mechanical effects superposition, interference, and entanglement. In addition to secure message transmission, quantum communication will include future capabilities for the distribution of entangled states in the areas of communication, sensor technology and computing and is therefore the basis for long-term developments in quantum technology as a whole. However, current applications of quantum communication are limited, mainly due to the degradation of quantum information during transmission via fiber optics or satellite. Advancing the underlying metrology for quantum communication is crucial to paving the way for robust and certified commercial quantum communication systems. The Optics division at PTB is involved in a number of projects and initiatives at national and European level to promote improved metrology for quantum communication.
As the quantum revolution moves forward, there is a clear need for a set of common terms to be used in characterizing the performance of single-photon sources and detectors. A common language allows fair comparison of commercial devices and helps clarify what performance can be expected. To address this need, an effort to construct a dictionary of single-photon terms was begun at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and including input from the quantum industry and other National Metrology Institutes. We report on the progress of this effort and seek additional input from the single-photon community.
Quantum Key Distribution, a fundamental component of quantum secure communication that exploits quantum states and resources for communication protocols, can future-proof the security of digital communications, when if advanced quantum computing systems and mathematical advances render current algorithmic cryptography insecure. A QKD system relies on the integration of quantum physical devices, as quantum sources, quantum channels and quantum detectors, in order to generate a true random (unconditionally secure) cryptographic key between two remote parties connected through a quantum channel. The gap between QKD implemented with ideal and real devices can be exploited to attack real systems, unless appropriate countermeasures are implemented. Characterization of real devices and countermeasure is necessary to guarantee security. Free-space QKD systems can provide secure communication to remote parties of the globe, while QKD systems based on entanglement are intrinsically less vulnerable to attack. Metrology to characterize the optical components of these systems is required. Actually, the “Optical metrology for quantum-enhanced secure telecommunication” Project (MIQC2) is steering the metrological effort for Quantum Cryptography in the European region in order to accelerate the development and commercial uptake of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) technologies. Aim of the project is the development of traceable measurement techniques, apparatus, and protocols that will underpin the characterisation and validation of the performance and quantum-safe security of such systems, essential steps towards standardization and certification of practical implementations of quantum-based technologies.
Quantum technologies are based on the properties of atoms, electrons and photons. Quantum physics describes the behaviour of these fundamental units which can behave either like waves or like particles, resulting in many extraordinary properties. They can provide unchanging standards to use for measurement and their 'quantum' behaviour can potentially create a completely new class of advanced environmental sensors and systems, with radically new capabilities for timing and navigation, secure communications, driverless cars, computing and other critical applications. NPL has initiated a wide-ranging programme, based on its applied metrology expertise, which focuses on the many ways in which NPL, as the UK’s National Metrology Institute, can contribute to the development of quantum technologies into usable products and services. Through its new programme, NPL will lead on the creation of a comprehensive capability to test and evaluate prototypes and new products, which are based on quantum technologies. The programme will involve establishing new measurement methods and protocols which will contribute to new international standards, in collaboration with partners around the world. This talk will outline the key elements of the programme and how it fits within the UK’s National Quantum Technologies Programme (NQTP), as well as some key initial projects.
The generation, measurement, and manipulation of light at the single- and few-photon levels underpin a rapidly expanding range of applications. These range from applications moving into the few-photon regime in order to achieve improved sensitivity and/or energy efficiency, as well as new applications that operate solely in this regime, such as quantum key distribution and physical quantum random number generation. There is intensive research to develop new quantum optical technologies, for example, quantum sensing, simulation, and computing. These applications rely on the performance of the single-photon sources and detectors they employ; this review article gives an overview of the methods, both conventional and recently developed, that are available for measuring the performance of these devices, with traceability to the SI system.