QKD optical ground terminal developments

Wimar Klop; Rudolf Saathof; Niek Doelman; Michael Gruber; Thijs Moens; Clara I. Osorio Tamayo; Cristina Duque

doi:10.1117/12.2599217

QKD optical ground terminal developments

Wimar Klop^*, Rudolf Saathof, Niek Doelman, Michael Gruber, Thijs Moens, Clara I. Osorio Tamayo, Cristina Duque

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference article › Scientific › peer-review

Abstract

Free space optical (FSO) satellite communications has very attractive properties for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). The quantum channel loss and noise are major factors in setting the maximum achievable secure key rate of QKD systems. Primarily for a LEO satellite node and the BB84 protocol a number of technologies are proposed to reduce the quantum channel loss and noise. These technologies apply to the receiver side of the QKD link, the Optical Ground Terminal. It is shown that an optical beam shaper to optimize fiber mode matching, dedicated thermo-mechanical design to reduce misalignment induced by temperature gradients and an Adaptive Optics (AO) system to counteract optical turbulence effects can result in a significant reduction of loss and background noise. A breadboard verification experiment shows that using an medium-size AO system can maintain a fiber coupling efficiency up to 40%. The developed technologies have a general applicability with respect to satellite orbit and QKD protocol used.

Original language	English
Article number	118520Y
Journal	Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume	11852
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2599217
Publication status	Published - 2021
Externally published	Yes
Event	2020 International Conference on Space Optics, ICSO 2020 - Virtual, Online Duration: 30 Mar 2021 → 2 Apr 2021

Keywords

Adaptive Optics
Free Space Optics
Optical Ground Stations
Opto-mechanics
Quantum Key Distribution

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10.1117/12.2599217

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@article{e1fd0db9ba2b4fc1bc74c03ab545c975,

title = "QKD optical ground terminal developments",

abstract = "Free space optical (FSO) satellite communications has very attractive properties for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). The quantum channel loss and noise are major factors in setting the maximum achievable secure key rate of QKD systems. Primarily for a LEO satellite node and the BB84 protocol a number of technologies are proposed to reduce the quantum channel loss and noise. These technologies apply to the receiver side of the QKD link, the Optical Ground Terminal. It is shown that an optical beam shaper to optimize fiber mode matching, dedicated thermo-mechanical design to reduce misalignment induced by temperature gradients and an Adaptive Optics (AO) system to counteract optical turbulence effects can result in a significant reduction of loss and background noise. A breadboard verification experiment shows that using an medium-size AO system can maintain a fiber coupling efficiency up to 40%. The developed technologies have a general applicability with respect to satellite orbit and QKD protocol used.",

keywords = "Adaptive Optics, Free Space Optics, Optical Ground Stations, Opto-mechanics, Quantum Key Distribution",

author = "Wimar Klop and Rudolf Saathof and Niek Doelman and Michael Gruber and Thijs Moens and {Osorio Tamayo}, {Clara I.} and Cristina Duque",

year = "2021",

doi = "10.1117/12.2599217",

language = "English",

volume = "11852",

journal = "Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering",

issn = "0277-786X",

publisher = "SPIE",

note = "2020 International Conference on Space Optics, ICSO 2020 ; Conference date: 30-03-2021 Through 02-04-2021",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - QKD optical ground terminal developments

AU - Klop, Wimar

AU - Saathof, Rudolf

AU - Doelman, Niek

AU - Gruber, Michael

AU - Moens, Thijs

AU - Osorio Tamayo, Clara I.

AU - Duque, Cristina

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Free space optical (FSO) satellite communications has very attractive properties for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). The quantum channel loss and noise are major factors in setting the maximum achievable secure key rate of QKD systems. Primarily for a LEO satellite node and the BB84 protocol a number of technologies are proposed to reduce the quantum channel loss and noise. These technologies apply to the receiver side of the QKD link, the Optical Ground Terminal. It is shown that an optical beam shaper to optimize fiber mode matching, dedicated thermo-mechanical design to reduce misalignment induced by temperature gradients and an Adaptive Optics (AO) system to counteract optical turbulence effects can result in a significant reduction of loss and background noise. A breadboard verification experiment shows that using an medium-size AO system can maintain a fiber coupling efficiency up to 40%. The developed technologies have a general applicability with respect to satellite orbit and QKD protocol used.

AB - Free space optical (FSO) satellite communications has very attractive properties for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). The quantum channel loss and noise are major factors in setting the maximum achievable secure key rate of QKD systems. Primarily for a LEO satellite node and the BB84 protocol a number of technologies are proposed to reduce the quantum channel loss and noise. These technologies apply to the receiver side of the QKD link, the Optical Ground Terminal. It is shown that an optical beam shaper to optimize fiber mode matching, dedicated thermo-mechanical design to reduce misalignment induced by temperature gradients and an Adaptive Optics (AO) system to counteract optical turbulence effects can result in a significant reduction of loss and background noise. A breadboard verification experiment shows that using an medium-size AO system can maintain a fiber coupling efficiency up to 40%. The developed technologies have a general applicability with respect to satellite orbit and QKD protocol used.

KW - Adaptive Optics

KW - Free Space Optics

KW - Optical Ground Stations

KW - Opto-mechanics

KW - Quantum Key Distribution

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85116066458&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1117/12.2599217

DO - 10.1117/12.2599217

M3 - Conference article

AN - SCOPUS:85116066458

SN - 0277-786X

VL - 11852

JO - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering

JF - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering

M1 - 118520Y

T2 - 2020 International Conference on Space Optics, ICSO 2020

Y2 - 30 March 2021 through 2 April 2021

ER -

QKD optical ground terminal developments

Abstract

Keywords

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