Q-DOS : QKD for Drones with Optimal Size weight and power

Lightweight Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have seen a huge increase in commercial uptake in recent years, but their applications have been limited, in part by the inability to securely communicate highly sensitive data back to the ground. Project Q-DOS (QKD for Drones with Optimal Size weight and power) will solve this problem by delivering a unique quantum encrypted communication system with an eavesdropping detection feature between an airborne platform and a ground-based station. This hyper-secure system is based on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), which provides future proof communications security combined with the novel ability to detect eavesdroppers. A key challenge is meeting the demanding Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) requirements as the system will have to be deployed on a lightweight (under 7kg) drone. This will be achieved by using the novel integrated quantum optical QKD chips combined with flight-proven optical communications system developed by project members. We expect the outcome of this project not only to be a step change in capability in the secured drone market (both military and commercial), but to open up a significant number of areas, moving QKD away from niche applications and towards mainstream adoption.

The Centre for Quantum Photonics at the University of Bristol is one of the world leaders in the development of integrated quantum photonics technology. It has a wealth of practical knowledge (also in free-space QKD experiments) which it hopes to contribute to the project. In particular, UoB will collaborate in the development of detector technologies and provide detector characterisation facilities, provide a combination fast and slow driving electronics, all combined with significant person-power of expertise of QKD systems and field experiments.

The impact will arise through wide uptake of this technology and the disruptive nature of its capability.

The impact plan is focused on ensuring that Airbus, Bristol, KETS and other partners can take the results and exploit them. Their aim is to supply a technology solution for securing data links between airborne platforms and ground base stations. The strategy to achieve this impact includes:

- Intellectual property (IP) protection: Project meetings will have a standing discussion item on IP generated by all partners and any publication will take due account of the need to protect IP.

- Engagement with relevant aerospace standards and industry bodies: Airbus Defence and Space is well represented on such bodies, who form a highly targeted and appropriate audience. We will aim to present this work at a relevant forum, to be determined, with the aim of informing the industry of the potential of the technique.

- Publication in aerospace trade publications: Flight international, the Royal Aeronautical Society Journal and other relevant publications will be used to disseminate results and future 'roadmaps' for this work.

- Presentation at relevant aerospace conferences: A presentations will be made at conferences
relevant to this field.

- Demonstration: Members of the consortium, Airbus Group Innovation and end user organisations will be invited to a demonstration of the capabilities of the system. A video demonstration will also be made available.

Wider impact: The miniaturization of the QKD system is widely applicable to several scenarios and applications ranging from short-range links to UAVs and potentially secure links to satellites. Airbus is a major satellite manufacturer and has excellent knowledge of the routes to exploitation in this market. The low size, weight and power (SWaP) QKD system scoped in this project has the potential capability to be a disruptive technology for the small form satellites ie. CubeSats, market. This type of satellites are envisaged to dominate Earth observation and remote sensing applications and the system that will be developed offers a high level of security to this application.

The novel compact tracking retro-reflecting modulators targeted by the Q-DOS project are also applicable to classical laser-based wireless system, to increase both link range and data rates. Additionally, the low SWaP feature of this module makes this block attractive to be used on small handheld devices designed for short range indoor applications. The strategy to ensure impact in this area is based on engaging with a wider audience in the area of optical engineering, where most of the relevant scientists report their results. Engagement will include

- Journal and conference presentations. These will be used to publicise results in a wider context, to help to ensure take-up in the areas listed above. We will target conferences with a large industrial and academic audience, possibly SPIE security and defence, where there are a wide range of different topics and a single presentation can reach a wide audience.

- Online news. We will write a short article for online news services, such as that run by the SPIE, in order to disseminate to an audience as wide as possible in the area of optical engineering.

- Video demonstrations and web based information. We will create short video clips of successful field trials as well as summaries on the work on the Oxford and Bristol group website, to allow wider publicity and to generate interest.