Integrated millimeter-wave (mmWave) and free-space optical (FSO) communication systems offer a complementary solution for secure and high-speed data transmission. In this hybrid system, mmWave serves as the classical channel and FSO operates as a quantum channel for quantum key distribution (QKD), creating a multi-layered communication infrastructure. This dual channel faces significant challenges, including vulnerability to atmospheric attenuation, blockage, beam misalignment, and high sensitivity to environmental factors such as weather conditions, turbulence, and obstacles, which impact their reliability and performance. Taking into account these challenges, the integration of mmWave and FSO enables robust applications such as secure 6G networks, satellite-to-ground communications, and urban connectivity, where mmWave ensures reliability during FSO disturbances. By combining classical high-speed data transfer with the quantum security of QKD, this hybrid architecture opens the road for next-generation secure and high-capacity networks.
Integrated millimeter-wave (mmWave) and free-space optical (FSO) communication systems offer a complementary solution for secure and high-speed data transmission. In this hybrid system, mmWave serves as the classical channel and FSO operates as a quantum channel for quantum key distribution (QKD), creating a multi-layered communication infrastructure. This dual channel faces significant challenges, including vulnerability to atmospheric attenuation, blockage, beam misalignment, and high sensitivity to environmental factors such as weather conditions, turbulence, and obstacles, which impact their reliability and performance. Taking into account these challenges, the integration of mmWave and FSO enables robust applications such as secure 6G networks, satellite-to-ground communications, and urban connectivity, where mmWave ensures reliability during FSO disturbances. By combining classical high-speed data transfer with the quantum security of QKD, this hybrid architecture opens the road for next-generation secure and high-capacity networks.
Hybrid free-space optical (FSO) and millimeter wave (mmWave) systems have been proposed as an efficient solution to improve spectral efficiency and maintain link reliability. The comparable supported data rate and the complementary characteristics in different weather conditions of both links, i.e., FSO and mmWave) have attracted research efforts towards analyzing the different performance aspects of hybrid FSO-mmWave systems. Following this direction, in this article, the physical-layer security analysis of the dual-hop hybrid FSO-mmWave systems is addressed. In the considered system, both FSO and mmWave links are simultaneously used to carry data at each hop, while an eavesdropper is assumed to present to wiretap either one or both links. The analysis includes building a mathematical framework to derive different secrecy metrics, such as the average secrecy capacity, secrecy outage probability and effective secrecy throughput metrics, in mathematical expressions. Obtained analytical results are verified using Monte Carlo simulations where exact matching are achieved. Moreover, the presented results include investigation of the impact of the different operational parameters on the overall secrecy performance.
Hybrid Free-Space Optical (FSO) and millimeter Wave (mmWave) systems have emerged as a promising candidate for high data rate wireless transmissions due to the unique complementary properties against the different channel and environment conditions. Consequently, in this study, we investigate the hybrid FSO-mmWave systems from a physical-layer security point of view in the presence of different types of eavesdroppers, where the communication between two legitimate peers takes place over both FSO and RF links simultaneously. In particular, exponential atmospheric turbulence and Weibull fading channels are considered for FSO and mmWave links, respectively. We examine practical scenarios to eavesdrop the legitimate communication, and discuss the effects of random radio power of mmWave link and optical irradiance of FSO link on the probability of achieving a secure transmission. The impact of the fundamental physical layer parameters on the secrecy performance of the hybrid system is analyzed by obtaining analytical derivations of the probability of strictly positive secrecy capacity (SPSC) for different types of eavesdroppers, namely RF-, FSO- and Hybrid-Eve. In the light of results, we show that the analytical expressions are in exact agreement with the Monte-Carlo simulations.
Hybrid Free-Space Optical (FSO) and millimeter Wave (mmWave) systems have emerged as a promising candidate for high data rate wireless transmissions due to the unique complementary properties against the different channel and environment conditions. Consequently, in this study, we investigate the hybrid FSO-mmWave systems from a physical-layer security point of view in the presence of a hybrid type eavesdropper, where the communication between two legitimate peers takes place over both FSO and RF links simultaneously. We examine practical scenarios to eavesdrop the legitimate communication and discuss the effects of random radio power of mmWave link and optical irradiance of FSO link on the probability of achieving a secure transmission. The impact of the fundamental physical layer parameters on the secrecy performance of the hybrid system is analyzed by obtaining closed-form derivations of the probability of strictly positive secrecy capacity (SPSC) for correlated wiretap channels.
Free-space optical (FSO) communication provides a promising alternative solution to the traditional radio frequency (RF) communications. Compared to the RF technology, there are many advantages of FSO communications, such as ultra-high bandwidth, license-free spectrum, low inter-channel interference, and energy-efficient transmission. The potential applications for FSO communication include the last-one-mile access link from the fiber-based backbone network, low earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications, high-altitude base station platforms or vehicles, deep-space communications, and in-building automation connections. As the FSO technology becomes mature and increasingly involved, the security and reliability requirements of such applications also become crucial. Regarding the security issues, although the FSO communication is inherently more secure than the RF counterpart due to high directivity of its line-of-sight (LOS) link, it can still suffer from optical wire-tapping attack. There are many different application schemes that an eavesdropper can still probe the FSO link. Traditionally, to protect the communication, many works have been done on encryption layer and upper network layer, such as computationally intensive cryptographic algorithms and message exchanging protocols. In recent years, physical-layer security (PLS) has been getting more attentions as it provides an extra layer of security against eavesdropping. The PLS schemes, in general can be categorized into two main categories: classical PLS and quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols. The classical PLS is based on the information theoretic security analysis, while the QKD security is guaranteed by the quantum mechanics laws. Both techniques have been studied for FSO channels. In the first half of this dissertation, we study the PLS in a LOS FSO channel using orbital angular momentum (OAM) multiplexing and show that higher secrecy capacity can be achieved using OAM multiplexing technology in the presence of atmospheric turbulence effects. Then, we proposed an adaptation scheme for QKD system over FSO channel with different QKD protocols, i.e. BB84 and decoy state protocols. By adapting the source brightness based on the channel condition, we optimized the secret key rate (SKR) of the QKD system. Furthermore, we proposed a multiple spatial modes-based QKD system with backpropagation method to increase the total SKR through parallel channels. Regarding the reliability of an optical communication system as well as information reconciliation for both PLS and QKD schemes, the forward error correction (FEC) becomes an essential technique to enable high-speed transmission. The FEC with low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes has been studied for decades from LDPC block codes to the most recent spatially-coupled (SC) LDPC codes. For FSO communications, due to the time-varying nature of FSO channels, the capability of rate adaptation is important to achieve a consistent reliable transmission. In the second half of this dissertation, we proposed unified FPGA-based architecture to implement both quasi-cyclic (QC) LDPC codes and SC-LDPC codes with rate adaptation capability. The performance is verified through FPGA emulation to show good error floor properties. To further validate the rate adaptation capability, we have built a spatial light modulator (SLM)-based FSO channel emulator to test the adaptive coding scheme. Furthermore, we have conducted a fiber-based experiment with our rate adaptative coding scheme to show that the proposed adaptive coding scheme can be also used in dynamic fiber-based networks.
With ever increasing requirements for security and capacity, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) over Free-space Optics (FSO) offers an alternative solution for 5G and beyond. The Innovate-UK AirQKD project addresses the possibility of metropolitan-scale ‘last-mile’ quantum secure connectivity through FSO-QKD. However, the practical implementation of FSO-QKD faces a multitude of engineering problems across software, hardware, and security. In this paper we examine the challenges of system architecture, integration, QKD transmission via FSO, and the post-processing of keys. We illustrate the design of an integrated system architecture with quantum and classical domains combining advanced FSO-QKD hardware and software, demonstrating its functionality for transmission, post-processing, network control and key management. Moreover, we show the results of an FSO-QKD link over 135 m at BT's Adastral Park in Suffolk, UK, and demonstrate a photon count rate up to 585 kcps over the channel loss of 15.9 dB, with 12 kHz background noise. The post-processing results show the potential key generation capability of the system and verify the feasibility of the successful transmission of orthogonal polarization states.
Abstract This investigation examines the use of a Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK)-based Free-space Optical (FSO) Communication system combined with Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) for improved security and dependability in disaster management situations. We tackle the problems caused by atmospheric turbulence by utilizing a hybrid gamma–gamma and log–normal channel model to precisely characterize the FSO link. The proposed system’s purpose is to offer secure, high-bandwidth communication for emergency response coordination, telemedicine, and data transmission in environments affected by disasters. We present a system design and performance evaluation based on the hybrid atmospheric model, discuss the potential advantages, drawbacks, and countermeasures of the approach, and propose future research avenues, encompassing real-time adjustment, modulation variability, and field testing. Our implementation of real-time adaptation mechanisms lowers the BER by about 30 % under conditions affected by turbulence, while hybrid FSO/RF switching maintains uninterrupted connectivity during severe atmospheric attenuation.