Quantum Communication

Quantum communication research focuses on developing a completely new system for high-rate quantum key distribution [QKD] that efficiently solves all the challenges in a single system for the first time.

Cybercrime is growing at an exponential rate. Espionage against public institutions and companies via the internet constitutes the largest cyber-threat worldwide. The security of today’s information infrastructure depends critically on conventional public key encryption schemes. However, since these schemes are based on unproven mathematical complexity assumptions, such that an unexpected algorithmic innovation could immediately compromise security.

A revolutionary solution to the problem is to use the protocol of quantum cryptography, or similarly quantum key distribution. This technique offers secure communication, whose security is guaranteed by the laws of quantum physics instead. The seminal discovery of QKD has triggered enormous interest and several proof-of-principle as well as field implementations have been realized.

The research for Quantum Communication will include focus areas on:

Quantum key distribution

We will implement a field test prototype of quantum key distribution for secure communication in the Copenhagen area, integrated into existing security infrastructure.

Quantum random number generators

Random number generators based on quantum physical processes as entropy source provide perfect randomness in contrary to deterministic pseudo-random number generators. We will design an integrated, compact and fast quantum random number generator.

Ultra stable laser sources

With our proposed design we open up for a new generation of precision instruments using a simple molecular platform by combining modern methods from cavity QED, quantum physics and quantum optics.

Microresonator based optical frequency combs

The goal of the project is to develop microcomb generators with high (>50 GHz) mode-spacing in the near-infrared spectral region, with no, or only insignificant, phase and frequency noise added to the source’s noise in the parametric scale.