UK Quantum Technology Hub for Quantum Communications Technologies – Case for Support Main partners: York (lead), Bristol, Cambridge, Heriot-Watt, Leeds, Royal Holloway, Sheffield, Strathclyde, Toshiba Research Europe Ltd. (TREL), BT and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) Overview This Hub will develop quantum technologies (QT) for a range of real-world security applications, from high- value commercial transactions to domestic users. We comprise the UK’s academic leaders in quantum communications (QComm), complemented by the country’s foremost photonic networks and information security researchers, in strong partnership with several of the world’s leading industrial players. We commit to delivery of commercial-ready technologies from several aspects of our Hub work within five years, whilst continuing to research and develop new ideas and protocols as a pipeline for later commercial exploitation. Our ambition is for this Hub to continue beyond the first five years, evolving and engaging new partners to sustain this pipeline of QComm technologies. From the outline bid we have strengthened our Hub by including information security expertise from national leaders Royal Holloway. We have further strengthened the Hub with the Cambridge photonic engineers, to enable implementation of quantum access and metro networks there, in addition to the B- NET metro network in Bristol. This now affords us the prospect of connecting these together, starting a UK Quantum Network, utilising the EPSRC-funded NDFIS, and bringing in partner NPL. In further response to the outcome of the outline bid process, we have also included on-demand single-photon and entangled photon sources, which are now part of the next-generation system development section of this Hub. Leadership and Track Record The Hub will be led by Professor Tim Spiller, as Director and Principal Investigator. The Hub Management Team (HMT) will include Spiller and the Hub Work Package Leaders, selected for their technical expertise and their technology, collaboration and leadership track records. The investigators bring together the broad spectrum of quantum and classical communication and security expertise required for this Hub. Professor Tim Spiller is founding Director of the recently launched York Centre for Quantum Technologies (QT). He previously led the QI Group at Leeds and has fifteen years of industrial experience as Director of Quantum Information Processing Research at HP Labs Bristol. There he led the development of HP’s QT Intellectual Property portfolio and QT translation strategy. (Further details are given in the Director CV.) Professor John Rarity is Head of the Photonics Group in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Bristol, with 10 academics (>100 staff and students) ranging in skills from high speed communication systems to foundational quantum photonics. He is a founding father of QT, including the first experiments in path entanglement, QKD, multiphoton interference and quantum metrology, recognised by the 1994 IoP Thomas Young Medal. He has been reviewer/advisor for EU projects and prestigious international projects, inc. Swiss National Science Foundation NCCR Quantum Photonics and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR). He contributed to the formation of QT research in Europe through various advisory panels (Pathfinder, ACTS). He has led teams in several large projects, including EPSRC QIPIRC (£12M) and 3 EU consortia (~£1.5M each), led WPs in ~10 other EU projects and holds a prestigious ERC Advanced fellowship. He and colleagues were awarded the Descartes Prize in 2004 for the project QuComm. He has published >120 papers with >9000 citations h=50 (with many in the high impact Nature journals and PRL). Dr Mark Thompson is Director of the new Quantum Engineering CDT at Bristol and Deputy Director of the Centre for Quantum Photonics, heading a research team of ~20 scientists and engineers. He holds an EPSRC Early Career Fellowship and is pioneering the emerging field of silicon quantum photonics. He has over five years industrial experience in photonics, working with Corning Cables Ltd, Bookham Technology Ltd and Toshiba, and was awarded the 2009 Toshiba Research Fellowship. He led the €2.5M EU-funded FP7 project on integrated quantum technologies (QUANTIP), and has been involved in six EU and nine UK projects, with a total value > £10M. He is world-leading in the development of advanced integrated quantum circuits, and was awarded the 2013 IET researcher award for his contributions to his field. Dr Andrew Shields FREng, FInstP is Assistant Managing Director at TREL Cambridge Research Laboratory. He directs Toshiba’s R&D in Quantum Information Technology, heading a world-leading team of around 30 scientists/engineers. He has extensive experience of co-founding and leading large EU programmes in QT. In the core management team of SECOQC, he led QKD network technology development, resulting in a successful field trial in Vienna, Oct 2008. He also led quantum device work for long-distance QComm in EU
Transcript
UK Quantum Technology Hub for Quantum Communications Technologies – Case for Support
Main partners: York (lead), Bristol, Cambridge, Heriot-Watt, Leeds, Royal Holloway, Sheffield,
Strathclyde, Toshiba Research Europe Ltd. (TREL), BT and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
Overview
This Hub will develop quantum technologies (QT) for a range of real-world security applications, from high-
value commercial transactions to domestic users. We comprise the UK’s academic leaders in quantum
communications (QComm), complemented by the country’s foremost photonic networks and information
security researchers, in strong partnership with several of the world’s leading industrial players. We commit
to delivery of commercial-ready technologies from several aspects of our Hub work within five years, whilst
continuing to research and develop new ideas and protocols as a pipeline for later commercial exploitation.
Our ambition is for this Hub to continue beyond the first five years, evolving and engaging new partners to
sustain this pipeline of QComm technologies.
From the outline bid we have strengthened our Hub by including information security expertise from
national leaders Royal Holloway. We have further strengthened the Hub with the Cambridge photonic
engineers, to enable implementation of quantum access and metro networks there, in addition to the B-
NET metro network in Bristol. This now affords us the prospect of connecting these together, starting a UK
Quantum Network, utilising the EPSRC-funded NDFIS, and bringing in partner NPL. In further response to
the outcome of the outline bid process, we have also included on-demand single-photon and entangled
photon sources, which are now part of the next-generation system development section of this Hub.
Leadership and Track Record
The Hub will be led by Professor Tim Spiller, as Director and Principal Investigator. The Hub Management
Team (HMT) will include Spiller and the Hub Work Package Leaders, selected for their technical expertise
and their technology, collaboration and leadership track records. The investigators bring together the broad
spectrum of quantum and classical communication and security expertise required for this Hub.
Professor Tim Spiller is founding Director of the recently launched York Centre for Quantum Technologies
(QT). He previously led the QI Group at Leeds and has fifteen years of industrial experience as Director of
Quantum Information Processing Research at HP Labs Bristol. There he led the development of HP’s QT
Intellectual Property portfolio and QT translation strategy. (Further details are given in the Director CV.)
Professor John Rarity is Head of the Photonics Group in Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Bristol, with
10 academics (>100 staff and students) ranging in skills from high speed communication systems to
foundational quantum photonics. He is a founding father of QT, including the first experiments in path
entanglement, QKD, multiphoton interference and quantum metrology, recognised by the 1994 IoP
Thomas Young Medal. He has been reviewer/advisor for EU projects and prestigious international projects,
inc. Swiss National Science Foundation NCCR Quantum Photonics and the Canadian Institute for Advanced
Research (CIFAR). He contributed to the formation of QT research in Europe through various advisory
panels (Pathfinder, ACTS). He has led teams in several large projects, including EPSRC QIPIRC (£12M) and 3
EU consortia (~£1.5M each), led WPs in ~10 other EU projects and holds a prestigious ERC Advanced
fellowship. He and colleagues were awarded the Descartes Prize in 2004 for the project QuComm. He has
published >120 papers with >9000 citations h=50 (with many in the high impact Nature journals and PRL).
Dr Mark Thompson is Director of the new Quantum Engineering CDT at Bristol and Deputy Director of the
Centre for Quantum Photonics, heading a research team of ~20 scientists and engineers. He holds an EPSRC
Early Career Fellowship and is pioneering the emerging field of silicon quantum photonics. He has over five
years industrial experience in photonics, working with Corning Cables Ltd, Bookham Technology Ltd and
Toshiba, and was awarded the 2009 Toshiba Research Fellowship. He led the €2.5M EU-funded FP7 project
on integrated quantum technologies (QUANTIP), and has been involved in six EU and nine UK projects, with
a total value > £10M. He is world-leading in the development of advanced integrated quantum circuits, and
was awarded the 2013 IET researcher award for his contributions to his field.
Dr Andrew Shields FREng, FInstP is Assistant Managing Director at TREL Cambridge Research Laboratory.
He directs Toshiba’s R&D in Quantum Information Technology, heading a world-leading team of around 30
scientists/engineers. He has extensive experience of co-founding and leading large EU programmes in QT.
In the core management team of SECOQC, he led QKD network technology development, resulting in a
successful field trial in Vienna, Oct 2008. He also led quantum device work for long-distance QComm in EU
projects QAP, QESSENCE and SANDiE. He manages a £1.2M collaboration with NPL studying metrology for
QComm. He has co-authored over 300 peer reviewed articles (with many in the high impact Science and
Nature journals), filed over 70 patent families and co-ordinated many outreach activities (eg Royal Society
Summer Science Exhibition, 2013). He is the Chair and co-founder of the Industry Specification Group for
Quantum Key Distribution of ETSI (the European Telecommunications Standardisation Institute). In 2013
he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and awarded the Mott Medal by the IoP.
Professor Gerald Buller is Head of the Photonics and Quantum Sciences Research Institute (with 160 full-
time researchers) at Heriot-Watt University. He has worked in single-photon physics for well over 20 years,
and in quantum communications systems for over 15 years, leading experimental teams which
demonstrated the first fibre-based GHz QKD scheme in 2004 and the first quantum digital signatures
scheme in 2012. He is PI of a renewed EPSRC Platform Grant “Creating, detecting and exploiting quantum
states of light” (2008-2017) and has been PI on a range of collaborative research projects funded by EU,
European Space Agency, DSTL, QinetiQ, CERN, etc. including the “EQUIS” European collaboration, as well as
leading WP’s in five other major EU projects. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed articles in single-
photon related research. Prof. Buller co–founded TeraHertz Photonics Ltd. in 1998 and founded Helia
Photonics Ltd. in 2002, of which he remains a Company Director.
Dr Erika Andersson, Associate Professor at Heriot-Watt, proposed the first practical quantum digital
signature schemes and initiated their realisation funded by EPSRC Big Pitch EP/K022717/1. Dr Andersson
has held several prestigious research fellowships, including an individual Marie Curie Fellowship and a Royal
Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship. She is co-holder of UK patent GB2400252 on quantum source coding.
Professor Samuel Braunstein (York) holds a Royal Society-Wolfson Research Merit Award. He edited three
books on quantum information and is a Founding Managing Editor of the journal Quantum Information and
Computation. His over 100 papers have received more than 10,000 citations (Web of Science) and he has
made important contributions to quantum information, technology and communication including QKD.
Dr Roger Colbeck is a lecturer in mathematics (York), previously at ETH Zurich and Perimeter Institute. He
has made many important contributions to the understanding and development of device-independent
quantum cryptography, including pioneering studies in DI-QRG. Several of his publications are in Nature
journals and PRL and he regularly presents at international conferences (including QIP and Qcrypt).
Profesor Brian Gerardot (Heriot-Watt), a Royal Society URF, has made important contributions
investigating single photon and single spin coherence in III-V quantum dots. Via funding from an EPSRC
Challenging Engineering award and an ERC Starting Grant, he is currently working towards realization of a
scalable quantum photonic platform with applications in QComm and linear optical quantum computing.
Dr John Jeffers is Director of Research for Physics at Strathclyde University and an investigator on 7
previous EPSRC grants. He has researched widely in quantum optics for over 20 years, including attenuating
and amplifying dielectrics and quantum retrodiction. More recently he has worked with the Single Photon
Group at Heriot-Watt University on Digital Signatures and State Comparison Amplification in fibres.
Dr Pieter Kok is Senior Lecturer in Theoretical Physics at Sheffield. His expertise is in optical quantum
information processing, on which he has written a textbook (Cambridge, 2010). He has written nearly fifty
peer-reviewed papers accumulating over 4300 citations (h = 26; 6 PRLs, 1 RMP, 2 News & Views). He has
given 19 invited talks and secured over £10M in research grants. He supervised 3 PDRAs and 6 PhDs.
Dr. Reza Nejabati is a Senior Lecturer in High Performance Networks Group, SMIEEE and Fellow of HEA at
University of Bristol. He has been PI/Co-I of several EPSRC and EU funded grants focusing on disruptive new
transport technologies for future optical networks. He has done pioneering work on development of new
techniques for optical network slicing, isolation and virtualization. He has over 150 peer-reviewed papers.
Professor Kenny Paterson is an EPSRC Leadership Fellow in the Information Security Group at RHUL, has
been PI for projects with total value more than £2.5M and is co-PI for RHUL’s £3.8M CDT in CyberSecurity.
His research (over 130 papers in information security) has been recognised through an Internet Research
Task Force Prize (2014), being program chair for Eurocrypt 2011 and an invited speaker at Asiacrypt 2014.
Professor Richard Penty FREng, FIET is the Professor of Photonics at Cambridge. His research includes high-
speed optical communications systems and photonic integration. Recent PI roles include EPSRC PULSE,
Basic Technology Micro and Nano Integration grants and EU FP7 projects VISIT, EuroPIC and PARADIGM. He
is Programme Director of the Integrated Photonic and Electronic Systems CDT. Grant totals exceed £10M.
Dr Stefano Pirandola is a Reader and Leverhulme fellow at Computer Science (York). In 2007 he was
awarded a Marie Curie fellowship on quantum cryptography and networks, mostly spent at MIT. He has
published 50 papers in top journals (including Nature Physics, Review Modern Physics and PRL) with
reviews in magazines such as Physics World, New Scientist, Physics (Synopsis) and Physical Review Focus.
Dr Mohsen Razavi has held an MIT-HP Alliance Fellowship and a Marie-Curie International Reintegration
Grant on Multiple-Access QKD Networks. He has researched widely in quantum communications through
Waterloo (Canada) and Leeds. As part of his EPSRC grant on Hybrid Quantum-Classical Networks, he
organised and chaired the first International Workshop on Quantum Communication Networks in Jan 2014.
Professor Dimitra Simeonidou leads the High Performance Networks group (HPN) at Bristol, with over 40
academics, researchers, visiting fellows and PhD students. She has been the PI/Co-I of numerous Optical
Networking grants (including EPSRC Platform (PI) and Programme grants) and her current funding portfolio
exceeds £15M. She has >450 publications, 11 patents and has made major contributions to standards.
Dr Alastair Sinclair is a principal scientist in the Quantum Detection Group at the National Physical
Laboratory (NPL), leading R&D activity in atomic and optical quantum technologies. He collaborated with
TREL in a recent Technology Strategy Board project, resulting in a world-first demonstration of quantum-
secured DWDM transmission over a single installed fibre, using a traceably-calibrated QKD system.
Professor Ben Varcoe (Leeds) made the first microwave-region observations of intra-cavity Fock states,
photon-photon blockade and single photons on demand. He currently has two QT spinout companies,
contracts with Quantum Imaging Limited, Cryptographiq/IPGroup and Airbus Defence and Space for QKD
technologies, plus collaborative arrangements with L3-TRL to develop cryptographic systems.
Professor Ian White FREng, FIET, FIEEE is van Eck Professor of Engineering at Cambridge and Master of
Jesus College. He leads the Photonics activity (~ 100 researchers) in the Electrical Engineering Division. He
was the consortium leader of the £3.5M EPSRC PHOTON project, the £2M TINA project and the £7M
Cambridge IKC, as well as PI on many other EPSRC, DTI and EU projects (total value >£20M).
Overall Vision and Ambition
The grand vision of this Hub is to develop new quantum communications (QComm) technologies that will
reach new markets, enabling widespread use and adoption in many scenarios – from government and
commercial transactions through to consumers and the home. This Hub will position the UK as the world-
leader in this quantum technology (QT) sector. The development of both fibre-based and free space
QComm has made excellent progress in the last decade. Laboratory-based demonstrations have facilitated
field trials in real environments, demonstrating core capabilities such as verifiable key transmission for
message encryption and multi-user signature exchange. All this shows that the QComm sector is ripe for
commercialisation. That this has not happened already – with commerce and government (DSTL [1] and
CESG [2]) keeping a watching brief – is a reflection of the nature of existing products, which are primarily
test-bed systems for use in controlled environments. Our vision is for new QComm technologies which,
moving beyond these limitations, facilitate widespread application and use outside laboratories. It is
essential to offer QT that actually delivers products and services that are competitive, compelling and
address the requirements of commercial and Government end-users, and consumers. This Hub will
develop the underlying technologies and deliver such products. Delivery of our vision will be through a two-
component strategy: The first component will be to take already proven concepts and advance these to a
commercialisation-ready stage, engaging TSB [3] and relevant external partners at the appropriate stages
(in parallel Work-Packages (1)-(3)). The second component of our strategy will advance new directions and
applications in quantum communications, through theory and experiment to technology demonstrations
(in a parallel Work-Package (4)). The four key Work-Packages (WPs) that will deliver these components are
thus identified as:
WP(1) Short range, free-space, quantum key distribution (QKD) technologies: We will advance existing
“consumer” QKD demonstrations at the University of Bristol and HP Labs, progressing to integrated,
practical and affordable Alice and Bob units with their supporting hardware and software. For lower
frequency microwave systems, we will produce practically secure Alice and Bob units with their supporting
hardware and software. These technologies will enable many-to-one short-range communications for
consumer, commercial and defence markets.
WP(2) Chip-scale QKD technology: We will scale down and integrate the QKD component devices to
produce robust, miniaturised sender, receiver and switch systems, “QKD-on-a-chip” modules. This advance
will address cost, energy-efficiency and manufacturability issues to enable widespread, mass-market
deployment and application of QKD.
WP(3) Quantum communication networking: We will establish a UK Quantum Network (UKQN) which
integrates QKD into secure communication infrastructures at access, metropolitan and inter-city scales. Our
networks will facilitate device and system trials, integration of quantum and conventional communications,
and demonstrations for stakeholders, customers, the media and the wider public.
WP(4) Next-generation QComm: We will explore new approaches, applications, protocols and services – to
open up new markets for quantum communications, beyond key distribution. The themes will be reviewed
and revised regularly, based upon progress to implementation, demonstration and technology. The initial
themes include quantum digital signatures, multiple-user scenarios, quantum relays/repeaters/amplifiers
and device-independent technologies. The hardware developed in WP1-3 will be fed into “Next-generation
QComm”, to accelerate progress from the laboratory to the UKQN and eventual commercialisation.
In combination, these four Work-Packages are designed to deliver our vision, both establishing QComm
technology industry for the UK and feeding its future expansion, diversification and sustainability.
Our Hub comprises an outstanding set of research groups, including the three leading UK experimental
QComm activities – at Bristol, Heriot-Watt and TREL. Details on the foci and scale of QT activities at
institutions are given in their support letters, so here we emphasise activities and expertise key to this Hub.
Bristol hosts the Centre for Quantum Photonics and the Photonics Research Group, leads the Quantum
Engineering CDT and leads an EPSRC Programme Grant “Integrated Photonic Quantum Technologies”.
Heriot-Watt hosts the Institute for Photonics and Quantum Sciences and leads the Applied Photonics CDT.
York hosts a new cross-disciplinary Centre for QT, contributing major QComm theory expertise. Strathclyde
hosts the Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics and both Strathclyde and Sheffield will contribute key
theory on quantum optical technologies, with Leeds contributing key quantum networks and microwave
expertise. Cambridge and Bristol both contribute leading network technology expertise and access to the
new National Dark Fibre Infrastructure Service (NDFIS), with Simeonidou the Technical Director of NDFIS.
Cambridge co-hosts the renewed CDT in Integrated Photonic and Electronic Systems. The Information
Security Group at Royal Holloway will contribute world-renowned expertise on security analysis. Partner
TREL hosts a major R&D activity in QT, notable for its achievements in quantum communications, whilst
partner NPL is the UK’s National Measurement and Standards Laboratory, with strong QKD activity in their
Quantum Photonics Group.
We have engaged in discussions with other candidate Hubs and we see two major roles for our QComm
Hub as part of a National Network of Hubs. As a “service provider” we will make our networks available to
other Hubs for proof of principle demonstrations; for example in blind quantum computation and
entanglement distribution. Small-scale optically addressable quantum processors or devices developed in
other Hubs could be connected to our networks, to demonstrate long distance addressing and potentially
distributed quantum processing. We could then leverage off such demonstrations for more advanced
quantum communication protocols, beyond basic QKD, and quantum relay and repeater implementation.
We also see ourselves as “users” of other Hubs’ technologies, particularly at the component level: for
example, semiconductor and superconductor-based single-photon detectors; alternative approaches to
single photon and entangled photon sources; and frequency converters. There is also significant potential
for cross-Hub collaboration on optical chip development and device integration, through our chip-scale
QKD technology Work-Package. Some of our Investigators also have technical roles in other Hub bids (led
by UCL, Glasgow and Bristol). If successful, we would thus naturally have a strong engagement with these
Hubs. Once the Network of Hubs is established, we will pro-actively pursue links across this Network,
through the “service provider” and “user” roles, along with any other appropriate collaboration or sharing.
National Importance of the Hub
The future of manufacturing in the UK is surely in high-tech areas where we can leverage the exceptional
research of our academic institutions. Through the £270M investment to establish a National Network of
Hubs, the national importance of quantum technologies (QT) has been recognised. QT are new disruptive
sectors in which the UK has world-leading research, that now needs to be turned into cutting-edge
development and manufacturing for the UK to gain return on its investment. Our Hub proposal is focused
on one of the five identified areas with the QT sectors – quantum secure communications. Capability in this
QT sector is of specific national importance due to the potential import/export controls on such
technologies and thus the need for sovereign capability.
The QComm sector is particularly important both from time scale and market reach perspectives. This area
offers the prospect of commercialisation on relatively short timescales, since demonstrations, experiments
and QKD test systems (e.g. from TREL and ID Quantique) are already very well advanced. It is thus realistic
to expect genuine commercialisation-ready outputs from our WPs (1)-(3) on the initial five-year Hub time
scale. The new QComm technologies we propose are also intended to open up widespread use and thus
viable business models. Short range free-space QKD and chip-scale modules with operational networks are
not specialist, high-margin solutions for narrow markets; rather these can bring QT to the much larger
consumer and commercial markets. QComm technologies are therefore a flagship for the whole QT sector,
behind which other technologies in sensing and computing can follow.
User Engagement Strategy
Our strategy for engagement of commercial collaborators, partners and technology users has four themes:
(a) technology development; (b) consultation, validation and standards; (c) user demonstrations and trials
with feedback; (d) commercialisation. The Hub Business Development Manager will facilitate delivery of
these engagements and where appropriate the Partnership Resource (or further funding, e.g. from TSB) will
be used flexibly to enable this delivery.
Specific user engagement is identified in our project descriptions; here we give examples relevant across
the Hub. First, note that we are already engaged across a wide spectrum of external partners (as evidenced
through statements of support), with TREL and NPL as major collaborators in the Hub for all themes (a)-(d).
Theme (b) has many facets. The Hub will further engage with the security contacts in government (DSTL,
GCHQ/CESG), in business (e.g. Banking and UK Payments Administration (UKPA)) and in the conventional
cryptography and security community, to establish a standard for incorporating quantum security schemes
into conventional payment security and to explore an integrated national strategy for future key supply.
We will also work with government security bodies to establish protocols that limit the misuse of widely
available private keys. We will continue the development of industrial standards via the QKD Industry
Specification Group of the European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI), which is chaired by
Shields (TREL). Standards are important to assure customers that QKD is implemented securely. This
requires accurate metrology of QKD system parts and their components, which will be developed by NPL
for all the hardware developed in the Hub. We will also extend our existing engagements with industrial
collaborators (TREL, Nokia, ADVA, BT) and develop new ones, to explore new key use models and protocols.
For theme (c) trials and testing for both commercial and consumer users will be through our network
demonstrators and our consumer QKD technologies.
Start-up companies Cryptographiq Ltd and Qumet Technologies are already engaged as commercialisation
channels, for one approach to theme (d).
Partnership Resource Plan
To allow for the flexible evolution of our Hub programmes, 20% of our recurrent budget is set aside as
Partnership Resource. Our technology development can proceed on the basis of and expertise in our initial
Hub consortium. Nevertheless, we anticipate bringing in new developments, for example in sources,
detectors, fabrication, integration, theory and protocols, as these emerge outside our Hub. Some of these
could be from other Hubs (this will depend on the eventual make-up of the Network of Hubs); we will
therefore use our Partnership Resource where appropriate to bring in key external developments involving
new partners that will enhance our QComm technologies.
We envisage, as part of the National Network of Hubs, using the Partnership Resource for workshops and
showcase events to stimulate new collaborations and user engagement. Workshops on Quantum
Communications Networks (following Leeds 2014) and on Security (classical and quantum) are planned.
We will leverage strongly off our communications networks (programme (3)). Once these are established
and operational in Bristol and Cambridge, we plan to use Partnership Resource to implement showcase
demonstrations, for both commercial and consumer markets.
Decisions on the deployment and utilisation of the Partnership Resource will be made by the Hub
Management Team, in close consultation with the Hub Advisory Board
coherence and strategic fit, other Hubs and the
Main technology projects/areas
The consortium for this Hub comprises eight
Leeds (L), Royal Holloway (RH), Sheffield (Sh), Stra
contribute strongly to the R&D: TREL and NPL
(including BT, ADVA, Oclaro and ID Quantique). Our R&D is
highlighted theme, translating into four cross
Analysis, to deliver our vision of new QComm technologies, as illustrated in Fig. 1:
WP (1) Short range, free-space, QKD
A current limiter for QKD uptake is the extra cost beyond
(Rarity (B), Spiller (Y)) took some development steps for
electronics [5]. The target remains to develop a pre
hand-held credit card or mobile phone device
unit. For mass-market consumer viability the target manufactured cost
£10; for the wall-mounted unit below £2000.
tethered key upload to a mobile phone
mobile phone cameras in the shot noise limited regime to
generate truly quantum random numbers [7
this and other schemes that could allow
between a phone and terminal with minimal modification of
phone hardware. A further example is the application
noise limited microwave sources to distribute keys over standard
wi-fi channels (see below).
Miniature optical systems: We will develop a full pre
QKD demonstrator between a handheld device and an ATM
unit. This requires dedicated miniature electronics and optics for
a credit card scale transmitter. The first design will be semi
integrated using low cost miniature LED
mode filter with miniature electronic control circuitry linked to
standard mobile phone technology. Fully integrated sources
developed in WP2 will form a second approach. We will develop
similar low cost optics and electronics for the
unit. A working handheld QKD system
protocols such as digital signatures,
ment and utilisation of the Partnership Resource will be made by the Hub
consultation with the Hub Advisory Board and, where appropriate for wider
coherence and strategic fit, other Hubs and the National Network.
rtium for this Hub comprises eight universities: Bristol (B), Cambridge (C), Heriot
Sheffield (Sh), Strathclyde (St) and York (Y); two industrial partners who will
e R&D: TREL and NPL; along with further major industrial partners and contractors
(including BT, ADVA, Oclaro and ID Quantique). Our R&D is all under the Quantum Secure Communications
into four cross-linked Work Packages (WPs) sharing Theory and Security
to deliver our vision of new QComm technologies, as illustrated in Fig. 1:
QKD technologies; Leader: Rarity (B)
is the extra cost beyond that of classical security. In prior projects we
took some development steps for low cost QKD technologies [
to develop a pre-commercial prototype of a QKD system
or mobile phone device communicating with a wall-mounted (
market consumer viability the target manufactured cost of the credit card
below £2000. This vision has been extended to include recent protocols for
tethered key upload to a mobile phone [6]. Recent work has also demonstrated the potential
cameras in the shot noise limited regime to
om numbers [7]. We aim to extend
allow secure key sharing
between a phone and terminal with minimal modification of
ample is the application of shot
noise limited microwave sources to distribute keys over standard
We will develop a full pre-commercial
dheld device and an ATM-like
dedicated miniature electronics and optics for
scale transmitter. The first design will be semi-
t miniature LEDs coupled through a fibre
mode filter with miniature electronic control circuitry linked to
standard mobile phone technology. Fully integrated sources
developed in WP2 will form a second approach. We will develop
optics and electronics for the ATM-like receiver
QKD system will then enable novel
in collaboration with WP4.
Fig 2: Credit card scale optics using short single mode
waveguide/fibre and four LED’s.
ment and utilisation of the Partnership Resource will be made by the Hub
and, where appropriate for wider
Heriot-Watt (HW),
industrial partners who will
industrial partners and contractors
Quantum Secure Communications
sharing Theory and Security
that of classical security. In prior projects we
[4] and control
of a QKD system based on a
mounted (“ATM-like”) receiver
credit card device is below
nded to include recent protocols for
demonstrated the potential of standard
Fig 2: Credit card scale optics using short single mode
waveguide/fibre and four LED’s.
With WP2 we will develop a universal
modules for short (635nm) medium (~800nm) and long wavelength (~1550nm) systems and similar
and embedded processor based synchr
receiver will be developed with WP3
modules with secure key store techn
We will also develop the FPGA-based timing electronics from
our generic receiver for applications
characterisation of complex quantum optical circuits with
multiple detectors (>32), and as a low cost time interval
analyser for lifetime and range measurement systems
Specific user engagement: We are already engaged
commercial partners (Qumet, IDQuantique) to spin out
photon counting acquisition technologies.
We will install our hand-held technology in
community access to trial and evaluate how
consumers explore and use personal ke
Microwave systems: In the microwave regime (Varcoe (L)) we aim to
linked to quantum continuous variables (CV)
use of QAM modulation techniques, the goal is to integrate microwave key distribution into a QAM/PSK
communication channel. The security foundations of this approach are critical
commercialisation process. These will be investigated theoretically
Specific user engagement: Airbus Defence and Space will be a full collaborative
provide consultancy in ensuring that the development is
WP (2) Chip-scale QKD technology;
The bulky and cumbersome nature of current
market appeal. This WP will develop a
delivering compact, lightweight, robust,
mass manufacture and widespread deployment
open up new market opportunities, large volume manufacture,
integration with existing optical networks, mobile applications and
computing technologies, and offers the potential for mass
penetration. We aim to make QComm
Integrated quantum photonics has recently emerged as t
approach to optical quantum technologies [
breakthroughs in quantum information science
patented and prototyped a server-client
waveguide circuits [6].
Objectives and Approach: We will utilise state
develop QKD optics ~103 smaller than available today. We will focus
(Si) device technologies, fabricated through commercial foundry services to be compatible with low
high yield, mass manufacturing, and to enable rapid prototyping and time
wavelength of 1550nm will ensure compatibility with existing
Transmitters: InP platforms enable GHz
Oclaro or HHI, Berlin will be used for fabrication
manufacture, with fabrication through the CMOS foundries of
on-chip photon generation directly within silicon waveguides, where CMOS
integration to enable quantum-enhanced security at the microchip level. Devices can be integrated into
the core of a microprocessor and into the circuitry of a mobile phone. All major QKD protocols will be
demonstrated at the chip-level, and shown to be compatible
high-end telecommunications applications, whilst
Receivers: For rapid deployment we will use both conventional InGaAs detectors and
detectors fibre-coupled to our chip receivers. We will initially develo
With WP2 we will develop a universal receiver unit based on a 19 inch rack system, w
modules for short (635nm) medium (~800nm) and long wavelength (~1550nm) systems and similar
and embedded processor based synchronisation, error correction and key distillation modules. This flexible
3 input, for compatibility with full network use. We will interface these
modules with secure key store technologies with the ability of relaying key to other network locations.
based timing electronics from
applications in the wider context of
characterisation of complex quantum optical circuits with
as a low cost time interval
measurement systems.
e already engaged with
antique) to spin out
technologies.
held technology in UKQN nodes with
l and evaluate how a wide range of
and use personal keys.
wave regime (Varcoe (L)) we aim to demonstrate secure communications
linked to quantum continuous variables (CV), with software-defined radio platforms.
use of QAM modulation techniques, the goal is to integrate microwave key distribution into a QAM/PSK
The security foundations of this approach are critical for the progress
will be investigated theoretically (Spiller et al. (Y); Paterson (RH)
Airbus Defence and Space will be a full collaborative partner and L
in ensuring that the development is practically secure.
; Leader: Thompson (B)
The bulky and cumbersome nature of current QKD systems is a barrier to mass manufacture and wide
will develop a chip-based approach to QComm,
robust, low-cost, low-energy devices for
mass manufacture and widespread deployment. Our novel approach will
up new market opportunities, large volume manufacture,
integration with existing optical networks, mobile applications and
computing technologies, and offers the potential for mass-market
im to make QComm accessible to the general public.
Integrated quantum photonics has recently emerged as the leading
ptical quantum technologies [8], enabling major
breakthroughs in quantum information science [9]. Project partner Bristol and Nokia have recently
client protocol with this integrated approach, using
utilise state-of-the-art photonic engineering tools and techniques
smaller than available today. We will focus on Indium Phosphide (InP) and Silicon
vice technologies, fabricated through commercial foundry services to be compatible with low
high yield, mass manufacturing, and to enable rapid prototyping and time-to-market. An operating
wavelength of 1550nm will ensure compatibility with existing (and future) fibre optic networks.
GHz circuit operation and direct integration of a laser source
will be used for fabrication. Si devices will be developed as a further route to mass
ugh the CMOS foundries of ePIXfab and IME. Novel techni
chip photon generation directly within silicon waveguides, where CMOS-compatibility allows direct
enhanced security at the microchip level. Devices can be integrated into
the core of a microprocessor and into the circuitry of a mobile phone. All major QKD protocols will be
level, and shown to be compatible with existing systems. InP devices will target
cations applications, whilst Si devices will target short-range consumer scenarios.
: For rapid deployment we will use both conventional InGaAs detectors and
our chip receivers. We will initially develop (with WP1) semi
Fig 4: WP(2) vision
chip-based QKD system
Fig 3: Standard 19” rack receiver system with
replaceable optics and electronics sub
with replaceable optical
modules for short (635nm) medium (~800nm) and long wavelength (~1550nm) systems and similar FPGA
tillation modules. This flexible
full network use. We will interface these
ologies with the ability of relaying key to other network locations.
demonstrate secure communications
defined radio platforms. Given the widespread
use of QAM modulation techniques, the goal is to integrate microwave key distribution into a QAM/PSK
or the progress of the
; Paterson (RH)).
partner and L-3 TRL will
systems is a barrier to mass manufacture and wide
Bristol and Nokia have recently
approach, using Lithium Niobate
art photonic engineering tools and techniques to
Indium Phosphide (InP) and Silicon
vice technologies, fabricated through commercial foundry services to be compatible with low-cost,
market. An operating
(and future) fibre optic networks.
and direct integration of a laser source. UK-based
s will be developed as a further route to mass-
ePIXfab and IME. Novel techniques exist for
compatibility allows direct
enhanced security at the microchip level. Devices can be integrated into
the core of a microprocessor and into the circuitry of a mobile phone. All major QKD protocols will be
with existing systems. InP devices will target
range consumer scenarios.
: For rapid deployment we will use both conventional InGaAs detectors and superconducting
p (with WP1) semi-bulk receivers fibre-
: WP(2) vision – a fully integrated
based QKD system.
Fig 3: Standard 19” rack receiver system with
replaceable optics and electronics sub-units.
Fig 5: 16x16 InGaAsP based on Clos architecture.
4x4 building block shown as inset.
coupled to commercial InGaAs detectors. Later these will be integrated with waveguide circuits using
hybrid techniques via flip-chip bonding. Modern compact closed cycle cryo-coolers will enable commercial
deployment of superconducting detectors in servers and network nodes. Our main waveguide material
technology for receivers will be Silicon Oxynitride (SiON) allowing ultra low-loss delay lines for time-bin
encoding, with fabrication through the LioniX/Triplex foundry. Future Ge-on-Si waveguide detectors offer a
route to monolithic integration with Si platforms – these devices are being developed in another QT Hub
involving project partner Heriot-Watt.
System integration and software: With WP1 we will develop standardised system electronics and software
packages for synchronising clocks, collecting and sifting raw key data, error location and correction, privacy
amplification and key management. As well as building on existing well tested protocols for an in-house
system we will look to incorporate chip scale devices within existing commercial QKD systems.
Chip-based QKD/WDM switches: New integrated photonic
routers will also be realised. To date Cambridge has
demonstrated [10] the largest (16x16 port count, with over 1000
components) integrated InP-based switch (see Fig 5). Such
approaches have issues for QKD signals so Cambridge will instead
design a switch fabric, with both space and wavelength routing, to
separately switch the QKD channel (or channels) and the classical
channels. The classical channels will be routed via a novel hybrid
MZI/SOA architecture to provide high ER switching at low energy
per bit (<1pJ/bit will be targeted) whilst the QKD channels will be
switched via interferometric techniques. The switch will be
realised via either the Oclaro or HHI foundry.
Specific user engagement: QKD devices will be commercially packaged by Optocap and embedded with
TREL control electronics to form complete systems. These devices and the chip-based switches will be
deployed via WP3 in a variety of trials and user scenarios, including integration into the city-wide QKD
networks in Bristol and Cambridge, and forming trusted nodes that link Bristol to NPL, and eventually to the
Cambridge network. We will work with Nokia on the deployment on various user scenarios, and with
Oclaro on the feasibility of direct integration with existing telecommunications hardware.
WP (3) Quantum communication networking; Leader: Shields (T)
The goal of WP3 is to develop technology for ubiquitous
application of quantum security in communication networks,
addressing the vital issues of telecom and cryptographic
integration. It will be distinguished from previous[11] and
current[12] quantum network deployments in not requiring
dedicated ‘dark’ fibre. We will develop solutions for metro-core,
access, and backbone networks (Fig.6). We aim to build a UK
Quantum Network (UKQN), to serve as a test-bed for the
technology developed in our hub, and as a focus for application
development, international standardisation and user
engagement.
Link Encryption: Integrating QKD into existing communication networks is a key issue for widespread
commercial applications. Metro networks use dense wavelength divisional multiplexing to send multiple
(eg 40, 80 or 96) data channels on a single fibre. Here, the main challenge for QKD integration is to
transmit quantum signals down one of the channels,
despite the extreme intensity contrast (factor >106)
between quantum and data signals. Recently TREL and
Cambridge reported a record data bandwidth of 4x10 Gb/s
combined with QKD on a single fibre [13], subsequently
demonstrating (with BT, ADVA and NPL) QKD plus
commercial 10Gb/s data traffic over the LEANET network
at Martlesham. We will combine QKD with 100 Gb/s data
channels for the first time. This will be applied to high-
Fig.6: WP3 vision of large-scale quantum network
Metro AccessBackbone
Fig.7: Link encryptor combines QKD and 100G data
channels on single fibre.
multiple 10G/100G
data channels
quantum
field fibre
� �
Fig.8: Quantum Access Networks allow low-cost
connection for multiple users to network node.
bandwidth, quantum-secured link encryptors based on 100G data transmission systems, where the AES
encryption key is frequently refreshed by QKD (Fig.7).
Quantum Metro-Core Networks: We will establish quantum-secured metropolitan networks in Cambridge
and Bristol as testbeds for the Hub technology and demonstrators focusing upon different user groups.
The Cambridge Quantum Network will address enterprise and telecom markets. It will serve as a test-bed
for essential long-term reliability tests of QComm technology and to develop network-based applications.
It will use the Granta infrastructure (68km of dark and lit fibre) and operate from the early stages of the
project, expanding to a metro-core network connecting several sites in the city by Y2 and will be further
extended using Quantum Access Networks in subsequent years. It can be reconfigured to implement
different network architectures, such as metro ring or star networks. We will study both experimentally
(TREL/Cambridge) and theoretically (Leeds) different schemes for wavelength provisioning of the data and
quantum channels, as well as wavelength and space routing using the WP2 switch, enabling a new
integrated quantum secured data-communications router. We will extend current schemes for key
management (York), develop network applications such as layer-3 encryption (York) and quantum digital
signatures (Heriot-Watt) and analyse network security (Royal Holloway).
The Bristol Quantum network will focus upon user engagement at the city scale. It will use B-NET (Bristol
dark fibre network, 76km) and be a test-bed for technologies developed in WP1 and WP2, including the
recently proposed client-server model [6]. Bristol will develop algorithms and tools to allow and
demonstrate the composition and operation of multiple co-existing quantum logical networks between
different client groups on the same physical infrastructure. It will integrate existing telecoms nodes with
optical switching to bypass classical elements such as optical amplifiers. We will develop a lab network
test-bed using a classical node (switches, servers, filters) identical to those installed in B-NET to test
