Advancing Secure And High-Performance Communication Technologies For The Quantum Era

New research group Quantum Communication Systems (QCSys)’s work addresses one of the most pressing challenges in modern information society: ensuring trust, privacy, and resilience in global communication networks.

QCSys studies and develops science and technology related to quantum communication systems spanning from photonics integrated devices for generating and processing quantum states to protocols and measurement tools for quantum communication.

A critical need
As digital communication underpins every aspect of modern life – from banking and healthcare to national security – the need for unbreakable security is critical. Classical cryptographic methods are increasingly vulnerable to advances in computing, including quantum computers. Quantum communication offers a future-proof solution, ensuring confidentiality and integrity even against the most powerful adversaries.

Beyond security, quantum networks will enable distributed quantum computing, secure cloud services, and fundamental scientific breakthroughs. QCSys’ research contributes to shaping this second quantum revolution.

The group’s research topics include:

• Quantum key distribution (QKD)*: They are keen to develop scalable and practical protocols and implementations making QKD a practical solution rather than a theoretical curiosity. They study high-dimensional QKD variants across physical dimensions (time, space, polarization etc.)
• Coexistence of QKD and classical data traffic: They design and study architectures where quantum and classical signals share the same physical infrastructure. This could mean travelling through the same fiber core, different modes or cores in advanced space domain multiplexing fiber or simply travelling through different fibers in the same installation. They study ways of monitoring, controlling and optimizing these complex systems.
• Entanglement distribution and sources: They conceive and design integrated photonics structures for generation and manipulation of entangled photon states. They make and use devices for photon pair generation, Bell state measurement, random number generation and numerous other applications related to quantum communication.
• Advanced measurement techniques: They continuously pursue the best techniques for investigating quantum systems. This often means developing tools and techniques ourselves, for studying signals beyond the reach of classical measurement tools.

The QCSys group is strongly committed to advancing research in this field but also to advancing education within quantum communication. They welcome student projects at all levels and contribute to multiple courses and study lines.

Their vision? Making quantum communication ever more accessible for serving practical needs in society.