Extending the reach of QKD:

Satellite prototype for quantum communication


Sarah Kaiser • Macquarie University
www.sckaiser.com/talks/photonics_connections_2016

Commercial QKD devices

id Quantique Clavis 2

Why don't we all have quantum keys?

  1. Distance/Loss: $\approx 300$ km

  2. Hardware developments

  3. Realistic device security models

One approach:
QKD receiver satellite

Integrated optical assembly (IOA)

IOA schematic
IOA photo

Single photon detector unit

detector unit
Geometry model

Acquisition pointing and tracking (APT)

detector unit
Geometry model
  • Transmission, raw key rate, and QBER uniform over pointing range