Aerospace & Defense
QKD Protocols
More efficient algorithms for communication over quantum-secure fiber or laser optical channels. Key distribution with physical guarantees of tamper resistance.
What is QKD?
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) uses the laws of quantum physics to distribute cryptographic keys that ensure the security of communications. Any attempt to intercept the key alters the quantum state of the transmitted photons, making the attack immediately detectable.
The problem
No channel is truly inviolable
Classical cryptography relies on computational assumptions: if those assumptions change, so does confidentiality. Even BB84, though pioneering, has practical limitations in terms of key rate, noise tolerance, and effective range in real-world deployments.
The solution
Security guaranteed by physics, not mathematics
Quantum key distribution makes it possible to detect any attempt at interception because measuring a quantum state disturbs it. Protocols more advanced than BB84, such as decoy-state, CV-QKD, or MDI-QKD, improve robustness, performance, and the achievable distance in real-world networks.
What We Develop
- Algorithms for fiber-optic channels
- We are researching channel estimation, synchronization, information reconciliation, and privacy-enhancing algorithms for QKD systems over optical fiber. Our approach prioritizes the development and research of protocols that offer better practical performance than BB84 in terms of key rate, loss tolerance, and operation over metropolitan and long-haul links.
- QKD Protocols for Laser Links
- We are researching QKD protocols for free-space optical channels and highly directional laser links. These schemes are designed to maximize stability, photonic efficiency, and range, taking into account atmospheric effects, dynamic alignment, and channel fluctuations.
- Integration with cryptographic infrastructure
- We enable integration mechanisms between QKD systems and conventional cryptographic platforms, including key management, interfaces with HSMs, traffic encryption, and hybrid architectures incorporating post-quantum cryptography. This allows quantum security to be integrated into existing operational infrastructures.
- Multi-node QKD networks and quantum management
- We implement multi-node QKD architectures with key routing capabilities, inter-link coordination, performance monitoring, and centralized management of quantum resources. The goal is to enable scalable, interoperable, and experimentally verifiable networks that go beyond point-to-point configurations.
Areas of application
- QKD solutions are particularly useful in sectors where confidentiality and resilience are critical, such as defense, government, finance, telecommunications, energy, and healthcare. Advanced protocols—which are more robust and efficient than BB84—also enable their use in real-world fiber networks and longer-range optical links.
- Classified military defense and communications
- Government Networks and National Intelligence
- Critical infrastructure and SCADA networks
- High-security telecommunications backhaul
- High-security telecommunications backhaul
- Aerospace, satellites, and ground-to-space links
- Financial data centers and central banks
Why implement it now?
01/
Unconditional security, not computational
The security of QKD does not depend on the mathematical difficulty of a problem, but rather on the laws of quantum mechanics, which cannot be altered without leaving a trace. This makes it a strategic technology in the face of future advances in computing, including quantum computing.
02/
Immediate detection of interception
In a QKD system, any attempt to measure or copy the channel introduces detectable and observable disturbances. This makes it possible to identify attacks in real time, reset key protocols, and ensure that only keys generated under verifiable security conditions are used.
03/
Compatible with existing optical networks
Modern QKD implementations can be integrated into existing optical infrastructure, particularly in metropolitan and backbone environments. This reduces barriers to adoption and facilitates a gradual transition toward more resilient cryptographic architectures.
04/
The quantum race between states has already begun
Governments, operators, and research centers are already investing in secure quantum communications as a strategic capability. Implementing these technologies now allows for the development of expertise, infrastructure, and technological sovereignty ahead of their widespread adoption.
