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Emerging Imaging and Sensing Technologies for Security and Defence

Satellite-based quantum communication and extended physical theory tests in space

Josefine Krause, Mohammad N. Mishuk, Najme Ahmadi, Sebastian Ritter, Mostafa Abasifard, Kabilan Sripathy, Tobias Vogl

Published Oct 17, 2023• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present a compact room temperature single photon source based on a color center in hexagonal boron nitride for future long-distance satellite-based quantum networks. The performance of this quantum light source is sufficient to outperform state-of-the-art laser-based decoy quantum key distribution protocols. The emitter is directly coupled to a photonic integrated circuit that routes the single photons to different experiments. This includes both a verification of the single photon source via measuring the photon statistics, as well as a fundamental test extended quantum theory in microgravity. The payload is currently being integrated on a 3U CubeSat and will be launched in 2024 as part of the QUICK3 mission.

DOI
10.1117/12.2680325

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Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is known as a promising solid-state platform to host room temperature quantum emitters that produce high purity single photons. The bright and spectrally adaptable hBN emitters are space-compatible, making hBN well-suited for satellite-based free-space optical (FSO) quantum key distribution (QKD) at wavelengths where the atmospheric background is naturally suppressed. This paper presents a pathway to develop hBN emitters operating near the Ca-II Fraunhofer line (at 854 nm), enabling daylight FSO operation. Moreover, due to its compatibility with the first telecommunication window at 850 nm, it is possible to interface with optical fibers to bridge the `last mile' in a scenario where multiple end-users connect through a single optical ground station to a QKD satellite. We therefore introduce a concept that combines continuous operation of a quantum network, hybrid links to minimize deployment costs, and high data rates due to the use of realistic single photon sources. The realization would be an important milestone for the development of the quantum internet.
Quantum theory is the foundation of modern physics.Some of its basic principles, such as Born's rule, however, are based on postulates which require experimental testing.Any deviation from Born's rule would result in higher-order interference and can thus be tested in an experiment.Here, we report on such a test with a quantum light source based on a color center in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) coupled to a microcavity.Our room-temperature photon source features a narrow-linewidth, high-efficiency, high-purity, and on-demand single-photon generation.With the single-photon source we can increase the interferometric sensitivity of our three-path interferometer compared to conventional laser-based light sources by fully suppressing the detector nonlinearity.We thereby obtain a tight bound on the third-order interference term of 3.96(523) × 10 -4 .We also measure an interference visibility of 98.58% for our single photons emitted from hBN at room temperature, which provides a promising route for using the hBN platform as light source for phase-encoding schemes in quantum key distribution.
Exponential losses limit the range of fiber based quantum key distribution (QKD) systems to several hundreds of kilometers [1]. In contrast, a satellite based QKD infrastructure could cover intercontinental distances and would enable world wide secure communication [2]. However, the profitability of a commercial system is highly dependent on its size, weight and power requirements. Photonic integration [3] is a well suited option as it allows the integration of all required optical components for a QKD system onto a single photonic integrated circuit (PIC). In this work, we present our CubeSat payload consisting of a PIC based sender for modulated weak coherent states as well as a quantum random number generator (QRNG). It was launched in 2024 as part of the QUBE mission [4], which aims for the demonstration of novel miniaturized building blocks for satellite quantum communication.