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IAF Space Communications and Navigation Symposium

EAGLE-1: Qualification, Calibration, and Testing of the Transmitter for Europe’s First QKD System

Oliver Heirich, Gabriela Calistro Rivera, Jakob Eppinger, Agnes Ferenczi, E. Garbagnati, Philipp Kleinpaß, Pia Lützen, Florian Moll, Jorge Rosano Nonay, Christian Roubal, Matthias Wagner, Hannes Zeihsel, Christian Fuchs

Published Jan 1, 2025• 0 citations
Publisher
DOI
10.52202/083082-0104

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The EAGLE-1 mission aims to develop Europe's first sovereign, end-to-end space-based quantum key distribution (QKD) system. The mission is led by the European Space Agency (ESA) and SES in collaboration with several European National Space Agencies and private partners. The state-of-the-art QKD system will consist of a payload on board the EAGLE-1 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, optical ground stations, quantum operational networks, and key management system. The EAGLE-1 mission represents a major step for next-generation quantum communication infrastructures, delivering valuable technical results and mission data. The Institute of Communications and Navigation (IKN) of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) is a key partner in the EAGLE-1 mission and is involved in the research and development of elements in both space and ground segments. Here we report on the development of the QKD transmitter, a vital part of the QKD payload, and the customization of the Optical Ground Station Oberpfaffenhofen (OGS-OP) to conduct the IOT phase of EAGLE-1. For the space segment, DLR-IKN is in charge of the design of the QKD transmitter, including the development of the software and firmware. This transmitter generates quantum states which are used to implement a QKD protocol based on an optical signal, that will be transmitted to ground. For the ground segment, The OGS-OP will serve as the in-orbit testing ground station for EAGLE-1. Building upon the expertise with a range of satellites for quantum communication, as well as new implementations, OGS-OP will validate the performance of the payload, optical link and QKD system for the first time. We present the main developments of OGS-OP for the mission, which includes the implementation of an upgraded adaptive optics system to correct for atmospheric distortions and optimize the coupling of the incoming light into a single mode optical fiber.
By combining classical optical satellite communication with quantum key distribution (QKD) high-throughput, long-distance and secure connectivity can be achieved. Within the European EAGLE-1 program, the principle of transmitter diversity is used in the design of the Optical Ground Station. By employing multiple transmit beams, the aim is to have sufficient power at the optical space terminal in the presence of turbulence-induced fading. The benefit of transmitter diversity depends on various inter-beam properties, such as their mutual incoherence, time-synchronization, spatial alignment and pointing accuracy. These transmit beam properties are discussed. The EAGLE-1 OGS architecture is based on four transmit beams. The effective scintillation is suppressed significantly for this architecture. As a result, the required dynamic range at the satellite receiver is reduced by up to 9 dB.