Protecting data with satellite-based quantum technology

Relying on quantum states of light, satellite-based quantum communication presents new frontiers for secure communication — along with threats. Unlike optical fiber communications, where photons lost as they travel through the fiber make it challenging to distribute quantum signals over long distances, satellites carry signals through mostly empty space.

Rozenman et al. demonstrated the power of satellite-based quantum communication in a review highlighting the security applications of this technology.

“Its most developed application is quantum key distribution, or QKD, which allows distant users to establish shared secret keys for encrypting information,” said author Georgi Gary Rozenman. “By analyzing their measurements, users can assess whether the quantum signals could have revealed information to an eavesdropper and determine whether a secure key can be produced.”

Secure key distribution worldwide is an application that could be realized shortly, since satellite-to-ground key distribution and integrated ground-space networks have been demonstrated. The challenge lies in creating global coverage, which relies on satellite infrastructure that hasn’t been developed yet.

“The challenges range from collecting extremely weak optical signals to precisely tracking a rapidly moving satellite: Clouds, atmospheric turbulence, background light, and limited satellite visibility can all interrupt or weaken a link,” Rozenman said. “Scaling up also requires lower costs, reliable hardware, and integration with existing communication networks.”

Rozenman wants researchers to realize this type of quantum technology could be the answer to the security threat of quantum computing.

“A sufficiently powerful quantum computer could break widely used public-key cryptographic systems,” Rozenman said. “QKD offers a different way to establish secret encryption keys, with security grounded in quantum physics rather than solely in the difficulty of a mathematical problem.”

Source: “Free-space and satellite-based quantum communication: Principles, implementations, and challenges,” by Georgi Gary Rozenman, Alona Maslennikov, Sara P. Gandelman, Yuval Reches, Sahar Delfan, Neel Kanth Kundu, Leyi Zhang, and Ruiqi Liu, AVS Quantum Science (2026). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1116/5.0338200 .

This paper is part of the Quantum Technology and Science in Space Collection, learn more here .