Space station to host 'self-healing' quantum communications tech demo

An experiment launching to the International Space Station later this year could set the stage for a future global quantum network. Two communications technologies will be tested in the harsh environment of space in a demonstration called the Space ENTanglement and Annealing QUantum Experiment.

A new understanding of Earth and our place in the universe may be achieved by measuring minute changes in gravity with the help of distributed quantum sensors, which hold the promise of operating millions of times faster than conventional computers. For quantum computers or quantum sensors to communicate, they will need a dedicated communications network. A key component of this network will be space, which can receive and transmit quantum data to and from the ground via free-space optical communications.

Seaque is trying to prove the viability of technologies that could allow for securely connecting quantum transmitters and receiver over great distances. These nodes will need to detect and produce pairs of entangled photons. The foundation for quantum cloud computing will be provided by the means to exchange and process quantum data regardless of where the computers are located.

Once attached to the space station, SEAQUE will test a technique to help space-based nodes self-heal from radiation damage, a continual challenge of maintaining delicate instruments in space.

The foundation for future global quantum networks that can connect quantum computers located hundreds or even thousands of miles apart is built by demonstrating these two technologies.

The project is global and intended to enable a network. The University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada; National University of Singapore; and AdvR, Inc., a Montana-based commercial space systems provider, are involved in the project.

The power of motion.

Even when separated by a large distance, measuring one of the entangled photons immediately affects the other's results. This is a characteristic of quantum mechanical systems. The entangled-photon source splits high-energy photons into pairs. The quantum properties of the daughter photons are measured by the internal detectors of the instrument.

Unlike other space-based quantum experiments, SEAQUE relies on an integrated source of entangled photons using a waveguide. A waveguide is a structure that acts like an expressway for light, directing their transmission with little loss of the quantum state.

The project will demonstrate a new and never-before-flown source based on integrated optics.

In cases where the operator on the ground has been shaken up during a launch, SEAQUE's optics won't work.

If you're building a global quantum network, connecting hundreds of quantum ground stations on different continents, you can't afford to have a person-in-the-loop keeping the sources at each of the nodes in optical alignment.

A laser is used for healing.

If SEAQUE proves it can repair damage caused by radiation, the technology demonstration could get another boost.

Highly sensitive detectors are required to receive single-photon quantum signals. Over time, high-energy particles from space will cause defects in the detectors. These defects can manifest themselves as dark counts in a detector's output, creating noise that will overwhelm any quantum signal from the ground. Space radiation will degrade such detectors so much that they will need to be replaced regularly, which will affect the viability of a global quantum communications network.

While detecting signals from Earth is not part of the technology demonstration, SEAQUE will use its detector array to count the photons generated by its entanglement source. It will be the first time that a bright laser will be used to repair radiation damage.

In tests on the ground, we found that this technique causes the defects in the lattice to bubble away, there by reducing detector noise and potentially prolonging the life of in-space quantum nodes.

The Bishop airlock is owned and operated by Nanoracks. The mission operations and launch services are provided by Nanoracks. AdvR, Inc. developed the integrated optical entangled photon source.

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