Bonn 2025 – scientific programme

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QI: Fachverband Quanteninformation

QI 32: Quantum Communication II: Implementations (joint session QI/Q)

QI 32.6: Talk

Thursday, March 13, 2025, 15:45–16:00, HS IX

QKD satellite QUBE - Launched and commissioned — •Moritz Birkhold für die QUBE Konsortium Kollaboration — Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany — Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology (MCQST), Schellingstr. 4, D-80799 Munich, Germany

Since its inception in 1984, ongoing efforts have been made to bring the distinct advantages of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)- secure generation of a cryptographic key-into practical use outside of laboratory environments. With the emergence of larger and longer fiber-based QKD networks used in urban environments, solutions for a truly global QKD backbone are being sought. Using satellites as trusted nodes can offer this solution.

The QUBE missions attempt to achieve downlink QKD with small nanosatellites using the CubeSat platform. Extensive development produced energy-efficient electronics and highly compact, robust optics based on vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers and integrated photonics, to make this scalable form factor usable. The first of these satellites QUBE, a pathfinder mission towards QKD with nanosatellites, was launched in August 2024 and is currently in the comissioning phase, allowing for the first QKD experiments in Q1 of 2025. We will show the most recent progress of the project, most recent ground measurements as well as updates on the measurement campaign, that will lead towards the sucessor mission QUBE 2, a nanosatellite with full QKD capabilities.

Keywords: QKD; Quantum Key Distribution; BB84; Satellite-based Quantum communication