🔐 In the quantum era, secure communication is more critical than ever. Our latest work at Allegro focuses on enhancing the dynamic range of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) systems — pushing the limits of how far Alice and Bob can be apart while still securely sharing keys over fibre.
📉 Light traveling through fibre suffers from exponential loss, and as distances increase, fewer photons reach Bob. Meanwhile, the Dark Count Rate (DCR) of Single Photon Detectors (SPDs) stays constant, degrading the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and eventually pushing the Qubit Bit Error Rate (QBER) beyond critical thresholds, collapsing the Secret Key Rate (SKR).
🔍 In this study, we explored two SPD technologies:
- InGaAs-based SPADs: Widely used in fibre-based QKD, offering good performance for most deployments but with limited yield for high-performance systems.
- Superconducting Nanowire SPDs (SNSPDs): Gold standard for long-range QKD performance, offering superior sensitivity, but requiring cryogenic environments to operate.
⚙️ We’ve also characterized individual SPAD units in our lab, with detailed mechanical mounting and a custom-built testbench, helping us fine-tune their performance envelope.
🧠 This project is a step toward scalable, long-distance quantum-secure communication systems, and we’re excited about where this leads.
📸 [Optional: Attach Figure 3-8 (a) or a clean lab photo of the testbench]
#QuantumTech #QKD #Photonics #SNSPD #Cybersecurity #AllegroProject #QuantumSecurity #DeepTech #PhotonicsEngineering #LinkedInResearch #BlueSkyThinking
