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Applied Physics Letters

Development of compact entangled photon-pair sources for satellites

Ali Anwar, Chithrabhanu Perumangatt, Aitor Villar, Alexander Lohrmann, Alexander Ling

Published Nov 28, 2022• 14 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Satellites are expected to play a significant role in the future of global quantum networks. Small satellites such as those following CubeSat standards may enable space-based quantum networks. CubeSat type satellites require less resources to develop and deploy and can be used to rapidly qualify technologies in orbit. The constraints of small satellites drive the development of compact quantum light sources, which will be useful even if the final satellite volume is large due to transmitter aperture requirements. In this article, we discuss the state-of-the-art in compact entangled photon-pair sources and suggest challenges that must be met by new source designs.

DOI
10.1063/5.0109702

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Satellites are expected to play a significant role in the future of global quantum networks. Small satellites such as those following CubeSat standards may enable space-based quantum networks. CubeSat type satellites require less resources to develop and deploy and can be used to rapidly qualify technologies in orbit. The constraints of small satellites drive the development of compact quantum light sources, which will be useful even if the final satellite volume is large due to transmitter aperture requirements. In this article, we discuss the state-of-the-art in compact entangled photon-pair sources and suggest challenges that must be met by new source designs.
Quantum sources and receivers operating on-board satellites are an essential building block for global quantum networks. SpooQy-1 is a satellite developed at the Centre for Quantum Technologies, which has successfully demonstrated the operation of an entangled photon pair source on a resource-constrained CubeSat platform. This miniaturized and ruggedized photon pair source is being upgraded to be capable of space-to-ground quantum key distribution and long-range entanglement distribution. In this paper, we share results from SpooQy-1, discuss their relevance for the engineering challenges of a small satellite quantum node, and report on the development of the new light source.
To enable space-based quantum key distribution proposals the Centre for Quantum Technologies is developing a source of entangled photons ruggedized to survive deployment in space and greatly miniaturised so that it conforms to the strict form factor and power requirements of a 1U CubeSat. The Small Photon Entangling Quantum System is an integrated instrument where the pump, photon pair source and detectors are combined within a single optical tray and electronics package that is no larger than 10 cm x 10 cm x 3 cm. This footprint enables the instrument to be placed onboard nanosatellites or the CubeLab structure aboard the International Space Station. We will discuss the challenges and future prospects of CubeSat-based missions.
We report on our progress developing highly-miniaturised, polarisation-entangled, photon pair sources for CubeSats. We have a correlated photon-pair source in orbit in the NUS Galassia 2U CubeSat. We also have an entangled photon pair source in production and a high brightness (1Mcps) entangled photon-pair source in development for our upcoming satellite missions. All our sources are proof-of-principle demonstrations that the hardware necessary for entanglement-based QKD can be miniaturised and made sufficiently robust for operation in nano-satellites. The photon pairs they produce are measured with liquid crystal-based Bell state analysers and Geiger-mode avalanche photo-diodes within the source. These space missions allow our on-the-ground radiation, thermal and vibration tests to be validated and the real-world operation and aging of the source in space to be studied. A BBM92 QKD-capable design of the source has been used in a phase A study of a satellite-to-satellite QKD demonstration mission by the University of New South Wales, Canberra. This mission study uses two 6U CubeSats in LEO and aims to demonstrate QKD over separations of increasing distances as the two CubeSats drift apart.
To overcome the challenges of establishing a global Quantum Key Distribution network using optical fibers, several communication protocols using satellites have been proposed. A major milestone towards such a goal is the demonstration of a working source of entangled photons on a satellite. We are building a compact instrument capable of generating entangled photon pairs through spontaneous parametric down conversion. We intend to follow an iterative development cycle with the first mission to demonstrate that the control electronics can reliably operate an optical source of correlated photons in orbit. The instrument we are building is designed to be integrated into a nanosatellite and conforms to the size, weight and power requirements of a 1U CubeSat. The instrument contains a power stabilized optical pump, single photon detectors and inertial free polarization rotators to measure polarization correlations onboard the nanosatellite. The single photon detection unit utilizes a software based controlling mechanism to achieve temperature independent operation in a typical low earth orbit nanosatellite. The integrated system has been tested for thermal, vacuum and vibration environments. The latest test on a high altitude balloon demonstrates the technology readiness of the electronics payload for space missions.
Progress in quantum computers, and their threat to conventional public-key infrastructure, drives new forms of encryption, including quantum key distribution using entangled photons. Beaming entangled photons to Earth from orbit could provide secure quantum communication over long distances. The authors transform a large, delicate quantum-optics setup into a robust payload for a shoebox-sized CubeSat satellite. Their gear survives the trip to space, and correlated photons are produced and detected aboard the satellite, validating the design---a milestone on the road to a space-based quantum communications network.