Optical front-end for a quantum key distribution cubesat

Abstract

Recent advances in pointing and tracking capabilities of small satellite platforms have enabled adoption of capabilities such as high-resolution Earth Observation (EO), inter-satellite laser communications and, more recently, quantum communications. Quantum communications requires unusually narrow optical beams and tight pointing performance (on the order of ten microradians) to close an inherently brightness-limited quantum link. This limit is due to quantum communication protocols such as quantum key distribution and teleportation requiring individual quantum states to be transmitted with photon number restrictions. We examine an opportunity to combine quantum communications with laser communications in sharing an optical link. We discuss a combined quantum and laser communication terminal capable of performing space-to-ground entanglement-distribution and high data rate communications on a 12U CubeSat with a 95mm beam expander and an 60 cm aperture optical ground telescope. Photon pairs produced by the quantum terminal are entangled in polarization so the polarization must be maintained throughout the optical link. We discuss active and passive compensation methods in space and polarization reference frame correction using a polarized reference beacon at the ground station. The combined quantum and laser communication terminal approach enables secure communications over an optical channel with rates of 100 Mbps and sub-nanosecond time transfer.