Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

IEEE International Conference on Space Optical Systems and Applications (ICSOS)

Large - Scale LEO Satellite Constellation to Ground QKD links: Feasibility Analysis

Argiris Ntanos, Nikolaos K. Lyras, Saif Anwar, Obada Alia, Dimitris Zavitsanos, Giannis Giannoulis, Athanasios D. Panagopoulos, George Theodore Kanellos, H. Avramopoulos

Published Mar 28, 2022• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

As Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) seems to turn towards satellite communication infrastructure to interconnect distant nodes aiming to a global quantum secured network, the number of assisting satellites is expected to increase. In this work, a feasibility analysis of a large-scale Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation supporting LEO to ground QKD links is presented. A software tool to simulate the physical properties of a large-scale satellite constellation and a link budget calculator tailored for LEO satellite to ground QKD links have been developed. A large-scale LEO satellite constellation with 100 satellites orbiting at 550km altitude with 53deg inclination angle in ten different orbital planes (10 satellites per orbital plane) has been simulated and subsatellite points for 1 year have been obtained. Assuming, an optical ground station network consisting of nine different optical ground stations located in observatories across Europe, the performance of this large-scale constellation is evaluated in terms of availability and Secure Key Rate (SKR) employing the prepare and measure Decoy-State BB84 QKD protocol, during nighttime, under different atmospheric conditions including cloud coverage and turbulence effects among others, while two different wavelengths (i.e., 800nm and 1550nm) are examined. For each Optical Ground Station (OGS) location, Gbits of distilled keys per year per ground station and key rates up to Kbps are reported.

DOI
10.1109/icsos53063.2022.9749743

Related papers

LEO Satellites Constellation-to-Ground QKD Links: Greek Quantum Communication Infrastructure Paradigm

Argiris Ntanos, Nikolaos K. Lyras, Dimitris Zavitsanos +3 more

Quantum key distribution (QKD) has gained a lot of attention over the past few years, but the implementation of quantum security applications is still challenging to accomplish with the current technology. Towards a global-scale quantum-secured network, satellite communications seem to be a promising candidate to successfully support the quantum communication infrastructure (QCI) by delivering quantum keys to optical ground terminals. In this research, we examined the feasibility of satellite-to-ground QKD under daylight and nighttime conditions using the decoy-state BB84 QKD protocol. We evaluated its performance on a hypothetical constellation with 10 satellites in sun-synchronous Low Earth Orbit (LEO) that are assumed to communicate over a period of one year with three optical ground stations (OGSs) located in Greece. By taking into account the atmospheric effects of turbulence as well as the background solar radiance, we showed that positive normalized secure key rates (SKRs) up to 3.9×10−4 (bps/pulse) can be obtained, which implies that satellite-to-ground QKD can be feasible for various conditions, under realistic assumptions in an existing infrastructure.

Photonics•Nov 30, 2021•26 citations

Satellite-to-Ground QKD in Urban Environment: A Comparative Analysis of Small-Sized Optical Ground Stations

Argiris Ntanos, Nikolaos K. Lyras, Aristeidis Stathis +3 more

This paper presents an in-depth satellite-to-ground Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) feasibility analysis between a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite and a 0.28 m small-sized Optical Ground Stations (OGSs) located in urban areas, over nighttime. Both Prepare & Measure (P&M) and Entanglement (ENT)- based QKD protocols are employed and compared in terms of distilled key bits. The performance of various detection setups and environmental conditions including different wavelengths (1550 nm and 810 nm) as well as different types of detectors (Avalanche and Superconducting Nanowires) is simulated. The results are compared to those obtained when OGSs with much larger receiver apertures are placed in rural environment. Our analysis delivers a framework examining the parameters affecting the QKD satellite downlink, and also provides a thorough theoretical framework for the employment of small-sized OGSs in urban environments.

IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Magazine•Apr 1, 2024•8 citations

Entanglement-based QKD over LEO satellite-to-ground time-varying atmospheric channel

Argiris Ntanos, Nikolaos K. Lyras, Aristeidis Stathis +4 more

For enabling and realizing long-haul Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), satellite communication infrastructure is exploited to deliver symmetric encryption keys to ground segments. In this direction the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (Euro-QCI) initiative, supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), aims to build a secure quantum communication network that will span across the EU. In this framework, ESA has selected three observatories in Greece to support European activities in optical communications and QKD systems. In this study, a QKD feasibility analysis between a LEO satellite constellation (100 satellites) and the three selected Optical Ground Stations (OGSs) in Greece, using an entangled based QKD protocol is presented. This contribution focuses on the performance evaluation and the applicability validation of an entanglement-based QKD system in a pragmatic regional segment of Euro-QCI. The time varying atmospheric channel is modeled taking into account the joint cloud coverage of the OGSs, the turbulence, the pointing errors and the solar background radiance. The performance of the regional entangled-based QKD system is validated in terms of annual availability as well as the number of shared distilled key bits between the ground stations per year.

Free-space laser communication technologies. Conference•Jan 26, 2023•1 citation

Converged Satellite to Fiber QKD Links: A Feasibility Analysis

Aristeidis Stathis, Argiris Ntanos, Nikolaos K. Lyras +3 more

This paper presents a comprehensive feasibility analysis designed to model Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite-to-ground communications for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), focusing on the 1550nm wavelength to facilitate the distribution of information through fiber segments. Discrete Variable Decoy State Polarization-based BB84 protocol is assumed whereas various detection setups and environmental conditions are simulated. Our analysis focuses on the receiver's design in terms of aperture and focal length to deliver a general framework by examining the coupling efficiency, a parameter strongly affecting the QKD satellite downlink. Through detailed simulation, we identify optimal configurations and operational parameters for various receiver designs, significantly enhancing the efficiency and reliability of satellite-to-ground QKD systems. The findings offer promising directions for extending the range of QKD systems, potentially revolutionizing secure communications by integrating satellite-transmitted quantum keys with terrestrial fiber networks. This study not only underscores the feasibility of advancing satellite-to-ground QKD technology but also lays the groundwork for future innovations in global quantum communications infrastructure.

International Symposium on Communication Systems, Networks and Digital Signal Processing (CSNDSP)•Jul 17, 2024•2 citations

MEO satellite-to-ground Decoy-State QKD links realistic performance analysis

Argiris Ntanos, Nikolaos K. Lyras, Dimitris Zavitsanos +6 more

In this study a feasibility analysis of a satellite-to-ground QKD link employing the Decoy-State BB84 protocol for both LEO and MEO satellite constellations is presented. Considering realistic atmospheric conditions and system assumptions, a comparison of the QKD performance between low and medium satellite orbits over an existing OGS network is reported.

International Conference on Space Optics (ICSO)•Jul 12, 2023•3 citations

Toward Converged Satellite/Fiber 1550 nm DS-BB84 QKD Networks: Feasibility Analysis and System Requirements

Aristeidis Stathis, Argiris Ntanos, Nikolaos K. Lyras +3 more

Satellite-based QKD is currently being developed to revolutionize global cryptographic key exchange by facilitating secure communication among remote parties at a global scale. By overcoming the exponential loss of fiber transmission, satellite-to-Earth communication can seamlessly interconnect vast distances as the link budget of such links is sufficient to support QKD links. In terms of this direction, DV-QKD implementations seems to be technologically ahead since key exchange has been experimentally demonstrated to perform much more efficiently by providing key rates that are orders of magnitude higher compared to entanglement-based key exchange. However, the specific requirements to support effectively functional DV-QKD satellite-to-ground links are yet to be defined. This work attempts to define the satellite and ground segment system requirements needed in order to achieve functional QKD service for various satellites orbits (LEO, MEO, and GEO). Finite key size effects are being considered to determine the minimum block sizes that are required for secure key generation between a satellite node and a ground terminal for a single satellite pass. The atmospheric link channel is modeled with consideration of the most important degradation effects such as turbulence and atmospheric and pointing loss. Critical Tx and Rx system parameters, such as the source’s intrinsic Quantum Bit Error Rate (iQBER), the Rx telescope aperture size, and detection efficiency, were investigated in order to define the minimum requirements to establish an operation satellite-to-ground QKD link under specific assumptions. The performance of each downlink scenario was evaluated for the wavelength of 1550 nm in terms of link availability, link budget, and in the distilling of secure key volumes over time. Finally, the feasibility and requirements for distributing the collected space photons via terrestrial telecom fibers was also studied and discussed, leading to the proposal of a more futuristic WDM-enabled satellite QKD architecture. This comprehensive analysis aims to contribute to the advancement and implementation of effective satellite-based QKD systems, which can further exploit the ground fiber segment to realize converged space/terrestrial QKD networks.

Photonics•Jun 27, 2024•13 citations
As Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) seems to turn towards satellite communication infrastructure to interconnect distant nodes aiming to a global quantum secured network, the number of assisting satellites is expected to increase. In this work, a feasibility analysis of a large-scale Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation supporting LEO to ground QKD links is presented. A software tool to simulate the physical properties of a large-scale satellite constellation and a link budget calculator tailored for LEO satellite to ground QKD links have been developed. A large-scale LEO satellite constellation with 100 satellites orbiting at 550km altitude with 53deg inclination angle in ten different orbital planes (10 satellites per orbital plane) has been simulated and subsatellite points for 1 year have been obtained. Assuming, an optical ground station network consisting of nine different optical ground stations located in observatories across Europe, the performance of this large-scale constellation is evaluated in terms of availability and Secure Key Rate (SKR) employing the prepare and measure Decoy-State BB84 QKD protocol, during nighttime, under different atmospheric conditions including cloud coverage and turbulence effects among others, while two different wavelengths (i.e., 800nm and 1550nm) are examined. For each Optical Ground Station (OGS) location, Gbits of distilled keys per year per ground station and key rates up to Kbps are reported.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) has gained a lot of attention over the past few years, but the implementation of quantum security applications is still challenging to accomplish with the current technology. Towards a global-scale quantum-secured network, satellite communications seem to be a promising candidate to successfully support the quantum communication infrastructure (QCI) by delivering quantum keys to optical ground terminals. In this research, we examined the feasibility of satellite-to-ground QKD under daylight and nighttime conditions using the decoy-state BB84 QKD protocol. We evaluated its performance on a hypothetical constellation with 10 satellites in sun-synchronous Low Earth Orbit (LEO) that are assumed to communicate over a period of one year with three optical ground stations (OGSs) located in Greece. By taking into account the atmospheric effects of turbulence as well as the background solar radiance, we showed that positive normalized secure key rates (SKRs) up to 3.9×10−4 (bps/pulse) can be obtained, which implies that satellite-to-ground QKD can be feasible for various conditions, under realistic assumptions in an existing infrastructure.
This paper presents an in-depth satellite-to-ground Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) feasibility analysis between a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite and a 0.28 m small-sized Optical Ground Stations (OGSs) located in urban areas, over nighttime. Both Prepare & Measure (P&M) and Entanglement (ENT)- based QKD protocols are employed and compared in terms of distilled key bits. The performance of various detection setups and environmental conditions including different wavelengths (1550 nm and 810 nm) as well as different types of detectors (Avalanche and Superconducting Nanowires) is simulated. The results are compared to those obtained when OGSs with much larger receiver apertures are placed in rural environment. Our analysis delivers a framework examining the parameters affecting the QKD satellite downlink, and also provides a thorough theoretical framework for the employment of small-sized OGSs in urban environments.
For enabling and realizing long-haul Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), satellite communication infrastructure is exploited to deliver symmetric encryption keys to ground segments. In this direction the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (Euro-QCI) initiative, supported by the European Space Agency (ESA), aims to build a secure quantum communication network that will span across the EU. In this framework, ESA has selected three observatories in Greece to support European activities in optical communications and QKD systems. In this study, a QKD feasibility analysis between a LEO satellite constellation (100 satellites) and the three selected Optical Ground Stations (OGSs) in Greece, using an entangled based QKD protocol is presented. This contribution focuses on the performance evaluation and the applicability validation of an entanglement-based QKD system in a pragmatic regional segment of Euro-QCI. The time varying atmospheric channel is modeled taking into account the joint cloud coverage of the OGSs, the turbulence, the pointing errors and the solar background radiance. The performance of the regional entangled-based QKD system is validated in terms of annual availability as well as the number of shared distilled key bits between the ground stations per year.
This paper presents a comprehensive feasibility analysis designed to model Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite-to-ground communications for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), focusing on the 1550nm wavelength to facilitate the distribution of information through fiber segments. Discrete Variable Decoy State Polarization-based BB84 protocol is assumed whereas various detection setups and environmental conditions are simulated. Our analysis focuses on the receiver's design in terms of aperture and focal length to deliver a general framework by examining the coupling efficiency, a parameter strongly affecting the QKD satellite downlink. Through detailed simulation, we identify optimal configurations and operational parameters for various receiver designs, significantly enhancing the efficiency and reliability of satellite-to-ground QKD systems. The findings offer promising directions for extending the range of QKD systems, potentially revolutionizing secure communications by integrating satellite-transmitted quantum keys with terrestrial fiber networks. This study not only underscores the feasibility of advancing satellite-to-ground QKD technology but also lays the groundwork for future innovations in global quantum communications infrastructure.
Satellite-based QKD is currently being developed to revolutionize global cryptographic key exchange by facilitating secure communication among remote parties at a global scale. By overcoming the exponential loss of fiber transmission, satellite-to-Earth communication can seamlessly interconnect vast distances as the link budget of such links is sufficient to support QKD links. In terms of this direction, DV-QKD implementations seems to be technologically ahead since key exchange has been experimentally demonstrated to perform much more efficiently by providing key rates that are orders of magnitude higher compared to entanglement-based key exchange. However, the specific requirements to support effectively functional DV-QKD satellite-to-ground links are yet to be defined. This work attempts to define the satellite and ground segment system requirements needed in order to achieve functional QKD service for various satellites orbits (LEO, MEO, and GEO). Finite key size effects are being considered to determine the minimum block sizes that are required for secure key generation between a satellite node and a ground terminal for a single satellite pass. The atmospheric link channel is modeled with consideration of the most important degradation effects such as turbulence and atmospheric and pointing loss. Critical Tx and Rx system parameters, such as the source’s intrinsic Quantum Bit Error Rate (iQBER), the Rx telescope aperture size, and detection efficiency, were investigated in order to define the minimum requirements to establish an operation satellite-to-ground QKD link under specific assumptions. The performance of each downlink scenario was evaluated for the wavelength of 1550 nm in terms of link availability, link budget, and in the distilling of secure key volumes over time. Finally, the feasibility and requirements for distributing the collected space photons via terrestrial telecom fibers was also studied and discussed, leading to the proposal of a more futuristic WDM-enabled satellite QKD architecture. This comprehensive analysis aims to contribute to the advancement and implementation of effective satellite-based QKD systems, which can further exploit the ground fiber segment to realize converged space/terrestrial QKD networks.