Advancing Quantum Communications using Next-Generation Optical Fibre

使用下一代光纤推进量子通信

• 批准号: 2742638
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Cambridge
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2742638
• 关键词: Advancing; Quantum; Communications; using; Next

Secure communication technologies are the backbone of today's digital economy yet the security of current cryptographic tools, which are applied to protect global communications travelling across a network of optical fibre, is based on 'computational complexity'. This assumes an eavesdropper has limited computational resources to break complex mathematical problems. This assumption is invalidated in the coming quantum computing era and thus, urgent action is needed to ensure the continued security of our communication systems.Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a rapidly maturing technology that solves this problem by distributing secret digital keys using quantum light. As a frontier technology, the development of QKD systems is inherently multidisciplinary. This requires the careful fusion of quantum physics, high-speed electronics, low-loss photonics and high-performance software to generate, manipulate and measure light.While QKD has already been successfully deployed to many optical networks worldwide, this has always employed "standard" single-mode telecommunication fibre. Recently, there has been great progress in the development of nextgeneration optical fibres, using novel physical designs to achieve very different optical guidance characteristics. Such geometries include hollow-core and fewmode fibres, which offer many advantages for optical communications. This enables, for example, spatial division multiplexing to enhance the classical datacarrying capacity of fibre and reduction of nonlinear and dispersive effects, as well as reduced latency. Such new fibres could also offer many benefits for quantum communications, but these have yet to be explored.A PhD project based at Toshiba Europe Ltd is available to perform pioneering research into the development of quantum communication systems that exploit next-generation optical fibres. The project will commence with detailed optical characterisation of new types of optical fibres, measuring various linear and onlinear optical phenomena with a focus on how these affect the interaction between classical and quantum light signals. The candidate will then play a leading role in the experimental development of full QKD systems, designing, building and characterising optical transmitter and receiver modules to be connected by new types of optical fibre. This will involve extensive experimental research, combining both high-speed optical and electronic devices, in addition to developing control software. It is expected that the candidate will develop broad expertise with semiconductor lasers, short-pulse generation, optical modulation, high-speed RF electronics, linear and nonlinear fibre optics, quantum photonics, and single-photon photodetection. There are also opportunities for theoretical work to simulate and optimise optical systems and the underlying quantum communication protocols.

安全通信技术是当今数字经济的支柱，但用于保护通过光纤网络传输的全球通信的当前加密工具的安全性却基于“计算复杂性”。这假设窃听者的计算资源有限，无法破解复杂的数学问题。这种假设在即将到来的量子计算时代将失效，因此，需要采取紧急行动来确保我们通信系统的持续安全。量子密钥分发（QKD）是一项快速成熟的技术，它通过使用量子光分发秘密数字密钥来解决这个问题。作为一项前沿技术，QKD 系统的开发本质上是多学科的。这需要仔细融合量子物理学、高速电子学、低损耗光子学和高性能软件来生成、操纵和测量光。虽然 QKD 已成功部署到全球许多光网络，但它始终采用“标准” “单模电信光纤。最近，下一代光纤的开发取得了巨大进展，利用新颖的物理设计实现了截然不同的光学制导特性。这种几何结构包括空心光纤和少模光纤，它们为光通信提供了许多优势。例如，这使得空分复用能够增强光纤的经典数据承载能力，减少非线性和色散效应，并减少延迟。这种新型光纤还可以为量子通信带来许多好处，但这些好处还有待探索。东芝欧洲有限公司的一个博士项目可以对利用下一代光纤的量子通信系统的开发进行开拓性研究。该项目将从新型光纤的详细光学特性开始，测量各种线性和在线光学现象，重点关注这些现象如何影响经典光信号和量子光信号之间的相互作用。然后，候选人将在完整 QKD 系统的实验开发、设计、构建和表征由新型光纤连接的光发射器和接收器模块方面发挥主导作用。除了开发控制软件之外，这还将涉及广泛的实验研究，结合高速光学和电子设备。预计候选人将在半导体激光器、短脉冲生成、光学调制、高速射频电子学、线性和非线性光纤、量子光子学和单光子光电探测方面发展广泛的专业知识。还有机会进行理论工作来模拟和优化光学系统和底层量子通信协议。