Credit: AIT / GettyImages
(Vienna)Over the last three and a half years, the multidisciplinary EU-funded UNIQORN project, which comes to an end this month, has created new quantum communication devices and applications targeted at mass market use. The project consortium has demonstrated the feasibility of shrinking the size of current quantum-optical setups down to a few centimetres, opening up a large range of application scenarios which will address important European challenges such as data sovereignty and the sustainable use of technology. The development work was carried out as part of the ramp-up phase of the European Quantum Technologies Flagship initiative.
Quantum communication is recognised as one of the pillars of the second quantum revolution thanks to its unique potential for information-theoretical data security. Turning this promise into tangible assets depends, however, on the availability of high-performance, compact and cost-effective modules for practical implementations. In 2018, the Horizon 2020 project “UNIQORN – Affordable Quantum Communication for Everyone: Revolutionizing the Quantum Ecosystem from Fabrication to Application” was selected by the European Commission for the ramp-up phase of the European Quantum Technologies Flagship. UNIQORN’s goal was to link innovative yet user-oriented research on the quantum frontier with near-future exploitation of early prototype components and system-on-chip implementations in a growing market with vast potential. Completion of the project concludes the ramp-up phase of the Quantum Technologies Flagship.
The project successfully demonstrated the feasibility of reducing the size of optical set-ups. A fully functioning Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) transmitter was fabricated on a photonic chip measuring only 2 by 4 mm in size, including lasers, modulators and optical attenuators. The availability of small and low-cost QKD components means that they can now be integrated into almost every optical communication device.
Quantum communication will be applicable industrially in the future
As well as working on on-chip integration, UNIQORN also studied new applications for quantum key distribution and its networking capabilities. In an inner-city optical-fibre network in Bristol (UK), several QKD links were built to test the future encryption of 5G stations. This network also hosted a novel controller that monitored the performance of the QKD links and could actively switch the connections between the stations to bypass and compensate for interrupted links, thereby enhancing the resilience of the QKD network as a whole. Furthermore, the project proved that QKD services could also be offered to the general public via a flexible fibre-to-the-home network architecture.
As a result of these successful milestones, UNIQORN has also taken the first steps towards realising the vision of a quantum internet for Europe. Entangled photon sources, vital for connecting distant quantum computers and quantum repeaters, were fabricated on small polymer platforms, with the goal of mass production. As the quantum internet should offer not only QKD but also new applications, UNIQORN also developed a quantum-secured method of using one-time tokens in financial transactions and e-commerce.
Hannes Hübel, coordinator of UNIQORN and head of the quantum technologies research unit at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology is extremely proud of the project outcomes. “Due to the progress in photonic integration, devices for absolutely secure quantum communication can easily be incorporated into existing communication devices such as modems, thereby bringing quantum technologies into everyone’s home,” he says. “Although the UNIQORN project has come to an end, its legacy will live on, with most partners continuing their research in the next phase of the European Quantum Technologies Flagship and participating in the creation of a European quantum network as part of the EuroQCI initiative”.
Tap-proof communication for Austrian authorities
The first steps towards an operational quantum network are already being taken in Vienna. As part of the "QKD4GOV" project, which is funded in the KIRAS security research funding programme of the BMLRT and the FFG, ministries and authorities in Vienna are being connected with QKD links and the technology is being tested under conditions suitable for everyday use. The first strategic locations of several authorities are already connected to the QKD network. The full roll-out together with the first demonstrations of QKD secured communication between security authorities is planned for the autumn. Further information: https://www.kiras.at/gefoerderte-projekte/detail/qkd4gov
About UNIQORN
The UNIQORN consortium of 17 partners from 9 European countries was led by AIT as the project coordinator, and the Institute of Computer and Communication Systems Athens as the technical manager. Further partners included research & technology organisations (Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute/HHI, Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre/imec) with extensive experience in turning basic science into applicable assets who worked together with quantum engineers with strong roots in theory and experimentation (University of Vienna, Paderborn University, University of Innsbruck, Technical University of Denmark). Photonic and electronic design, integration and packaging activities were supported by experts in the field (Eindhoven University of Technology, Micro-Photon-Devices, Politecnico Milano, SMART Photonics, VPI Photonics, Cordon Electronics). The industrial end-user perspective was provided by system vendor Mellanox Technologies and operator Cosmote, whilst field evaluation activities were conducted in the live smart city testbed run by the University of Bristol.
About the European Quantum Technologies Flagship (QT Flagship) initiative
The European QT Flagship Initiative was launched in 2018 and is one of the European Union’s largest and most ambitious research initiatives. With a budget of €1 billion over 10 years, the flagship brings together research institutions, academia, industry, enterprises, and policy makers in a joint and collaborative initiative on an unprecedented scale. The main objective of the QT Flagship is to consolidate and expand European scientific leadership and excellence in this research area, as well as to transfer quantum physics research from the lab to the market by means of commercial applications and disruptive technologies. Over 5000 researchers from academia and industry are involved in this initiative throughout its lifetime. https://qt.eu/about/
About the EuroQCI initiative
The EuroQCI initiative aims to build a secure quantum communication infrastructure that will span the whole EU, including its overseas territories. Since June 2019, all 27 EU Member States have signed the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) Declaration, signalling their commitment to the EuroQCI initiative and its goal of achieving European data sovereignty. The participating countries are working together with the European Commission and the European Space Agency (ESA) to design, develop and deploy the EuroQCI. The aim is to be fully operational by 2027. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/european-quantum-communication-infrastructure-euroqci
Press contact:
Hannes Hübel
UNIQORN Project Coordinator
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
Center for Digital Safety & Security
T +43 (0)50550-4453
hannes.huebel(at)ait.ac.at I www.ait.ac.at
Michael W. Mürling
Marketing and Communications
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
Center for Digital Safety & Security
T +43 (0)50550-4126
michael.muerling(at)ait.ac.at I www.ait.ac.at