Satellites promise global-scale quantum networks

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Goswami, Sumit and Dhara, Sayandip and Sinclair, Neil and Mohageg, Makan and Sidhu, Jasminder S. and Mukhopadhyay, Sabyasachi and Krutzik, Markus and Lowell, John R. and Oi, Daniel K. L. and Gündoğan, Mustafa and Chen, Ying-Cheng and Jen, Hsiang-Hua and Simon, Christoph (2025) Satellites promise global-scale quantum networks. Optica Quantum, 3 (6). pp. 590-605. ISSN 2837-6714 (https://doi.org/10.1364/opticaq.567531)

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Abstract

Academia, governments, and industry around the world are on a quest to build long-distance quantum communication networks for a future quantum internet. Using air and fiber channels, quantum communication quickly faced the daunting challenge of exponential photon loss with distance. Quantum repeaters were invented to solve the loss problem by probabilistically establishing entanglement over short distances and using quantum memories to synchronize the teleportation of such entanglement to long distances. However, due to imperfections and complexities of quantum memories, ground-based proof-of-concept repeater demonstrations have yet been restricted to metropolitan-scale distances. In contrast, direct photon transmission from satellites through empty space faces almost no exponential absorption loss and only quadratic beam divergence loss. A single satellite successfully distributed entanglement over more than 1,200 km. It is becoming increasingly clear that quantum communication over large intercontinental distances (e.g., 4,000–20,000 km) will likely employ a satellite-based architecture. This could involve quantum memories and repeater protocols in satellites, or memory-less satellite-chains through which photons are simply reflected, or some combination thereof. Rapid advancements in the space launch and classical satellite communications industry provide a strong tailwind for satellite quantum communication, promising economical and easier deployment of quantum communication satellites.

ORCID iDs

Goswami, Sumit, Dhara, Sayandip, Sinclair, Neil, Mohageg, Makan, Sidhu, Jasminder S. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6167-8224, Mukhopadhyay, Sabyasachi, Krutzik, Markus, Lowell, John R., Oi, Daniel K. L. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0965-9509, Gündoğan, Mustafa, Chen, Ying-Cheng, Jen, Hsiang-Hua and Simon, Christoph;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)