Satellite-based Quantum Key Distribution

Synopsis

In the highly digitized world we live in today, secure communication is of utmost importance for the privacy and security of companies and individuals. There currently exists highly secure methods of encryption based off the inability of classical computers to solve certain advanced math problems, such as factoring very large integers. With the advent of quantum communications, researchers have discovered cryptographic methods based on the properties of quantum mechanics, which can give rise to unprecedented levels of data security. Around the world, various projects are underway to create a quantum network through the use of ground-to-satellite quantum links to implement secure quantum communication over large distances. In this talk I will introduce quantum key distribution (QKD), a popular application of quantum cryptography, as well as discuss results from the Micius satellite project, the first demonstration of satellite-to-ground QKD.