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Photonics
Special Issues
Optical Satellite Communications for Quantum Networking
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Optical Satellite Communications for Quantum Networking

A special issue of Photonics (ISSN 2304-6732). This special issue belongs to the section "Quantum Photonics and Technologies".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2024) | Viewed by 2756

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Giannis Giannoulis

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Guest Editor
Photonics Communications Research Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytechniou 9 Str., Zografou, 15780 Athens, Greece
Interests: quantum key distribution systems; deployment-oriented QKD integration; integrated photonics for QIP applications; converged fiber/wireless networks for 5G and beyond
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Nikolaos K. Lyras

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Photonics Communications Research Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytechniou 9 Str., Zografou, 15780 Athens, Greece
Interests: optical communication systems; FSO; wireless and satellite communication networks; integrated photonics for communication applications; QKD systems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The space segment of quantum communications infrastructure aims to interconnect the terrestrial-fiber-based infrastructures developed across the Earth. Toward this ambitious global-scale infrastructure, satellite constellations which orbit at different attitudes (LEO/MEO/GEO) will be undertaken to exchange quantum key resources with optical ground stations.

This new mission for the space ecosystem in the quantum era requires the mobilization of research groups and synergies between classical and quantum optical communication scientists and engineers, working together toward the development of practical building blocks and network segments. Building upon the legacy of laser communications in space, quantum blocks and networks will leverage advances in prototypes and product developments of adaptive optics and subsystems based on optical integration and advanced packaging methods, including the new generation of single-photon detection systems, advancements in satellite and optical ground station infrastructure, and advanced simulation tools for satellite quantum link modeling.  

This Special Issue of Photonics, entitled “Optical Satellite Communications for Quantum Networking”, welcomes articles addressing, among others, the design and development path of a practical quantum satellite infrastructure. Theoretical design studies, numerical, and experimental papers are within the scope of the Special Issue, but review articles will also be considered. We expect to cover a variety of topics, including the following:

  • Design and feasibility studies on satellite-to-ground wireless FSO links;
  • Channel modeling for satellite QKD systems;
  • Quantum communications in a turbulent medium;
  • DV- and CV-QKD protocols integration in long-haul satellite links;
  • Space-to-ground entanglement distribution systems;
  • Next-generation satellite quantum payloads; quantum repeaters in space;  
  • Novel adaptive optics techniques for robust wireless quantum links;
  • Design and architectures of large-scale satellite networks;
  • Novel designs of optical ground stations, detection concepts, and portable OGS; 
  • Technologies and networks for inter-satellite QKD links;
  • Synergies and co-design of terrestrial and satellite links;
  • Technologies for inter-satellite QKD links;
  • Earth monitoring and sensing applications via quantum space technologies;
  • Fundamental physics tests using quantum technologies in space.

Dr. Giannis Giannoulis
Dr. Nikolaos K. Lyras
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Photonics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • satellite QKD
  • space-to-ground entanglement distribution
  • DV- and CV-QKD protocols
  • channel modeling
  • turbulent medium
  • FSO
  • adaptive optics
  • optical ground station

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

29 pages, 5992 KiB  
Article
Toward Converged Satellite/Fiber 1550 nm DS-BB84 QKD Networks: Feasibility Analysis and System Requirements
by Aristeidis Stathis, Argiris Ntanos, Nikolaos K. Lyras, Giannis Giannoulis, Athanasios D. Panagopoulos and Hercules Avramopoulos
Photonics 2024, 11(7), 609; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11070609 - 27 Jun 2024
Viewed by 676
Abstract
Satellite-based QKD is currently being developed to revolutionize global cryptographic key exchange by facilitating secure communication among remote parties at a global scale. By overcoming the exponential loss of fiber transmission, satellite-to-Earth communication can seamlessly interconnect vast distances as the link budget of [...] Read more.
Satellite-based QKD is currently being developed to revolutionize global cryptographic key exchange by facilitating secure communication among remote parties at a global scale. By overcoming the exponential loss of fiber transmission, satellite-to-Earth communication can seamlessly interconnect vast distances as the link budget of such links is sufficient to support QKD links. In terms of this direction, DV-QKD implementations seems to be technologically ahead since key exchange has been experimentally demonstrated to perform much more efficiently by providing key rates that are orders of magnitude higher compared to entanglement-based key exchange. However, the specific requirements to support effectively functional DV-QKD satellite-to-ground links are yet to be defined. This work attempts to define the satellite and ground segment system requirements needed in order to achieve functional QKD service for various satellites orbits (LEO, MEO, and GEO). Finite key size effects are being considered to determine the minimum block sizes that are required for secure key generation between a satellite node and a ground terminal for a single satellite pass. The atmospheric link channel is modeled with consideration of the most important degradation effects such as turbulence and atmospheric and pointing loss. Critical Tx and Rx system parameters, such as the source’s intrinsic Quantum Bit Error Rate (iQBER), the Rx telescope aperture size, and detection efficiency, were investigated in order to define the minimum requirements to establish an operation satellite-to-ground QKD link under specific assumptions. The performance of each downlink scenario was evaluated for the wavelength of 1550 nm in terms of link availability, link budget, and in the distilling of secure key volumes over time. Finally, the feasibility and requirements for distributing the collected space photons via terrestrial telecom fibers was also studied and discussed, leading to the proposal of a more futuristic WDM-enabled satellite QKD architecture. This comprehensive analysis aims to contribute to the advancement and implementation of effective satellite-based QKD systems, which can further exploit the ground fiber segment to realize converged space/terrestrial QKD networks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Satellite Communications for Quantum Networking)
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16 pages, 1234 KiB  
Article
A Best-Path Approach to the Design of a Hybrid Space–Ground Quantum Network with Dynamic Constraints
by David L. Bakker, Yannick Jong, Bob P. F. Dirks and Gustavo C. Amaral
Photonics 2024, 11(3), 268; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics11030268 - 18 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1073
Abstract
The design and operation of quantum networks are both decisive in the current push towards a global quantum internet. Although space-enabled quantum connectivity has already been identified as a beneficial candidate for long-range quantum channels for over two decades, the architecture of a [...] Read more.
The design and operation of quantum networks are both decisive in the current push towards a global quantum internet. Although space-enabled quantum connectivity has already been identified as a beneficial candidate for long-range quantum channels for over two decades, the architecture of a hybrid space–ground network is still a work in progress. Here, we propose an analysis of such a network based on a best-path approach, where either fiber- or satellite-based elementary links can be concatenated to form a repeater chain. The network consisting of quantum information processing nodes, equipped with both ground and space connections, is mapped into a graph structure, where edge weights represent the achievable secret key rates, chosen as the figure of merit for the network analysis. A weight minimization algorithm allows for identifying the best path dynamically, i.e., as the weather conditions, stray light radiance, and satellite orbital position change. From the results, we conclude that satellite links will play a significant role in the future large-scale quantum internet, in particular when node distances exceed 500 km, and both a constellation of satellites—spanning 20 or more satellites—and significant advances in filtering technology are required to achieve continuous coverage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optical Satellite Communications for Quantum Networking)
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