Quantum Communication

Our group is involved in the Italian Quantum Backbone (IQB), which connects the node at the CNR Pozzuoli with the Meditech Competence Center, Campus S. Giovanni of the University of Naples, and the Department of Physics E. Pancini of the University of Naples Federico II, Monte S. Angelo. This is the first permanent quantum communication infrastructure, entirely made with Italian technology, for the experimentation of new protocols to be used in telecommunications in an intrinsically inviolable way based on the principles of Quantum Mechanics. This will be updated with the inclusion of a node in Matera QMANs, terminating within the Centro di Geodesia Spaziale of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), allowing the integration between the terrestrial and the space segments proper of quantum communication. Superconducting strip photon detectors are used to enhance the performances of QKD protocols, such as: state-of-the-art NbN superconducting nanostrip single photon detectors (detection efficiency higher than 90% and dark count rate lower than 1 cps for profitability in quantum technology applications at the telecom wavelength 1550 nm) and array of superconducting nanostrips for photon number resolution. This involves not only design, fabrication and testing of superconducting microstrips based on a variety of superconducting materials (MoSi and NbRe for single photon detection in the mid infrared domain), but also light sources characterization reconstructing the photon number distribution with near unit fidelity and experimental techniques for unbiased generation of random numbers with photon number resolving detector employing the quantum properties of light. The initiative, supported and coordinated by the Ministry of Industry and Made in Italy (MiMiT), has the following partners: Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, CNR- INO, INRiM, Leonardo, QTI srl, TIM, Telsy, ThinkQuantum, Cisco and Exprivia.