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Journal of Physics Conference Series

Registration of the quantum state of a single photon to create a satellite quantum network

V. L. Kurochkin, A. V. Khmelev, I V Petrov, Alexander V. Miller, Akky Feimov, Vladimir Mayboroda, M. Yu. Balanov, V. Krushinsky, A. Popov, Yury Kurochkin

Published Dec 1, 2020• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract Artificial satellites employed as trusted nodes can increase the distance between two parties to establish quantum key distribution (QKD), unlike fiber based communication lines that are limited up to a few hundred kilometers. This report summarises our progress on a ground receiver for satellite QKD and its tracking receiving system (TRS). The authors demonstrate the operation of the TRS in practice and achieve standard tracking error of 1.4/Ltrad observing four satellites over 80% of the time they were available. The optical signal, which was the sunlight reflected of low Earth orbit satellites, was attenuated to a single photon level and was detected effectively using avalanche single photon detectors. The authors have thus proved that the developed system is capable of stable reception of quantum signal from a satellite.

DOI
10.1088/1742-6596/1680/1/012031

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Abstract Artificial satellites employed as trusted nodes can increase the distance between two parties to establish quantum key distribution (QKD), unlike fiber based communication lines that are limited up to a few hundred kilometers. This report summarises our progress on a ground receiver for satellite QKD and its tracking receiving system (TRS). The authors demonstrate the operation of the TRS in practice and achieve standard tracking error of 1.4/Ltrad observing four satellites over 80% of the time they were available. The optical signal, which was the sunlight reflected of low Earth orbit satellites, was attenuated to a single photon level and was detected effectively using avalanche single photon detectors. The authors have thus proved that the developed system is capable of stable reception of quantum signal from a satellite.
Long-distance quantum key distribution (QKD) is a critical component of a quantum network. When network users are within a city, they often use existing telecommunication fiber-optic networks. This method is problematic for QKD on a large scale between cities and countries. Direct connecting of distant consumers with quantum single-photon lines is not possible, because optical fiber involves attenuation. This problem is addressed by constructing a large number of trusted intermediate nodes, but there are concerns with the reliability of each node. To increase the quantum network's dependability, a method of building a satellite quantum network is actively developing. The only one trusted satellite node is required for satellite QKD between any two points on the Earth's surface. Furthermore, a satellite quantum link can also be utilized to add another communication channel in the existing fiber-optic networks that are thousands of kilometers apart. We describe the creation of ground infrastructure elements for receiving single photons in various polarization quantum states from satellites. Ground-based receiving nodes are based on two telescopes with an aperture of 1.2 m and 0.6 m located in remote cities.
A ground-based receiving station for quantum key distribution with a satellite, capable of analyzing the quantum polarization states of photons, is demonstrated. In the experiment on tracking a low-Earth orbit satellite, the residual tracking error by the ground station does not exceed 10 μrad, which ensures stable reception of the optical signal in four channels of the polarization state decoder. An estimation of the efficiency of registration of an optical signal in the mode of tracking satellites is carried out.
Satellite quantum communications have received a surge of interest in recent years, encouraged by the success of the QUESS experiments and as a reaction to advances in quantum computing. This work focuses on low Earth orbit nanosatellite missions, which offer several benefits (e.g. lower costs, greater launch availability, easier to replenish) over satellites at different orbit heights (medium Earth orbit, geosynchronous Earth orbit) and satellite size classes (e.g. small-sats, etc). Recent work on low Earth orbit satellite Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) has focused on transmitters and quantum sources, with less attention paid to the receiver side of the link. This review addresses that imbalance by focusing on the receiver and detection systems of satellite quantum communications. This work has found that two-way beacon acquisition and tracking systems are both a common element of state-of-the-art missions, and likely to remain a critical subsystem to ensure high-quality satellite-to-ground station links; however, improvements to detection and tracking algorithms could be made. For discrete variable QKD, receivers and detection systems in nanosatellites at low Earth orbit are likely to remain using silicon single photon avalanche diodes, while receivers and detection systems in optical ground stations may opt for superconducting nanowire single photon detectors, as cryogenic cooling is feasible. For continuous variable QKD, the receivers and detection systems, using coherent detection systems, share many hardware elements with classical optical satellite communications. Combined with coherent detection systems’ inherent resilience to operating during daytime conditions, this makes continuous variable QKD an attractive prospect for future missions, if its fundamental challenges can be overcome.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) can in principle offer unconditional security by making use of the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics. In practice, this is typically achieved by preparing individual photons in quantum superposition states and sending them to a remote receiver. To date, most commercially available QKD systems rely on the transmission of the photons via optical fibers, which, due to channel loss and detector noise, limits the distance over which QKD is feasible to a few hundred kilometers. Alternatively, satellite-based QKD facilitates low photon loss and negligible signal disturbance and offers a viable solution for establishing a global scale quantum network. Recently, a quantum science mission of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in collaboration with the Austrian Academy of Sciences (AAS) and the University of Vienna aimed at a satellite-based intercontinental quantum-key relay. Using the Chinese Quantum Science Satellite “Micius” as a trusted relay, a quantum network consisting of three optical ground stations located in China (Xinglong, Nanshan) and Austria (Graz-Lustbühel) has been demonstrated successfully. Here we report on the development of a quantum receiving module, installed at the Satellite Laser Ranging Station in Graz (Austria) capable of implementing the so-called decoy-state QKD protocol in a downlink scenario from the LEO satellite “Micius”. Furthermore, we will present the experimental results obtained during several downlinks from the Chinese satellite focusing on the performance of the Austrian receiving station.
Technological realities limit terrestrial quantum key distribution (QKD) to single-link distances of a few hundred kilometers. One promising avenue for global-scale quantum communication networks is to use low-Earth-orbit satellites. Here we report the first demonstration of QKD from a stationary transmitter to a receiver platform traveling at an angular speed equivalent to a 600 km altitude satellite, located on a moving truck. We overcome the challenges of actively correcting beam pointing, photon polarization and time-of-flight. Our system generates an asymptotic secure key at 40 bits/s.