Air to ground quantum key distribution

Abstract

To enable global scale quantum key distribution^1-3 (QKD), satellite based systems^4,5 are the most promising approach. So far, free-space QKD has already been demonstrated on communication channels with attenuation comparable to satellite downlinks,6 and classical laser communications with satellites and aircrafts is heavily explored.^7-10 Here, combining both these challenges, we demonstrate an aircraft to ground QKD transmission obtaining a sifted key rate of 145 bit/s and a QBER, larglely dominated by background events and stray light, of 4:8 %.