Dr. Sana Amairi-Pyka is the Lead Scientist for Quantum Communications at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Since 2021 she has been leading the Abu Dhabi Quantum Optical Ground Station (ADQOGS) project, aiming to position the UAE as a pioneer in space-based quantum communication technologies and ensure the global availability of secure free-space optical communication networks.
Amairi-Pyka earned her Ph.D. in Quantum Optical Metrology in 2014 from the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt in Germany. During her five-year postdoctoral research position at Humboldt University of Berlin, she developed and tested novel laser sources for space missions, including the European Space Agency’s Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA). In 2017, her scientific accomplishments were recognized with substantial funding from the Berlin Senate Administration BCP, and she was named an ambassadress for the “Brain City Berlin” campaign. Transitioning to industry in 2020, she worked as a Project Leader at the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC), enhancing the European ecosystem in photonics, quantum, and space industries. She has been an external expert for the European Commission since 2017.
Amairi-Pyka, a scheduled speaker at the Xpanse conference in Abu Dhabi November 20-22, recently spoke to The Innovator about the future of data encryption.
Q:What is Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and why should businesses pay attention to it?
SAP: The growing number of cyberattacks together with the knowledge that the public key cryptography used to protect sensitive data today is expected to be rendered insecure by the wide-scale availability of powerful quantum computers, are driving nations and companies to explore more secure ways of transmitting information. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), is one of the most developed quantum technologies and is used to transfer encryption keys using single photons. QKD is fundamentally different from numerical and algorithmic encryption solutions. It is based on the principles of quantum physics, making it resilient against all hacking attempts, regardless of the hackers’ computing power, including that of quantum computers.
Q: How does QKD work?
SAP: There are different protocols for QKD. Let’s look at the ‘Prepare and Measure’ protocol or BB84, which is the first and most well-known protocol for QKD, developed in 1984 by Charles Bennett and Gilles Brassard. In simple words, one can imagine two parties that want to share a secret key that will be later used for encryption. Let’s call them A and B, or as commonly used: Alice and Bob. To share a secret key, Alice would benefit from the quantum nature of the photons, i.e. the particle of light. A photon can be represented by an arrow that we will call a polarization state. In reality, a photon has an equal probability of being in any direction of polarization. Alice prepares individual photons in one of four possible quantum states symbolizing the digital bit: in a rectilinear basis (up=1, down=0) or a diagonal basis (diagonal=1 or level=0). Alice sends each photon to Bob over a quantum channel that is an optical fiber. Bob doesn’t know which basis Alice used, so he randomly chooses one of the two bases (rectangular or diagonal) to measure each photon. If Bob’s basis matches Alice’s, his measurement result corresponds to Alice’s bit (0 or 1). If his basis is different, the measurement is random. Next comes an important step called “key sifting”: after the transmission, Alice and Bob publicly compare the bases they used (without revealing the bit values) over a classical channel such as the Internet. They keep only the bits where their bases match and discard the rest, which will allow them to evaluate the so-called “quantum bit error rate” or QBER. These matching bits form the raw quantum key. The protocol is secure thanks to the non-cloning theorem which is in the quantum nature of the photon. If you try to detect a quantum state, you will destroy it Any eavesdropper (commonly referred to as Eve) trying to intercept and measure the photons would disturb the quantum states. If Alice and Bob notice a high QBER, the key will not be used. With QKD only the keys that are known to be safe against hacking attacks are used. This is fundamentally different from any other encryption solution used today, where keys are used and then we hope that no one hacks them.
Q: Which sectors are likely to be early adopters of QKD?
SAP: Any sector that is concerned with high levels of data security could become an early adapter of QKD technologies. In China, which is the most advanced country in this field, the banking sector started utilizing QKD at an early stage. Financial trading sectors, telecommunications, power plants and other critical infrastructure, healthcare institutions and DNA banks, government and the defense sector, could highly benefit from QKD solutions. The cost of implementing QKD networks is still high, but nations should consider investing in quantum-proof cyber security because the cost of not having it is going to be much higher.
Q: What is the timeline for adoption of the technology?
SAP: QKD is a quite advanced technology and is being commercialized in many places, including Europe, the U.S., China and Singapore. In different regions, uptake of QKD is proceeding at different rates. Chinese networks are particularly advanced in adapting and commercializing QKD. Notably in 2016, China launched the world’s first quantum communication satellite — the Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS), or Mozi/Micius — and achieved QKD using two ground stations 2,600 km apart. The country has also been aggressive in deploying QKD fiber networks. In Europe, EuroQCI: The European Quantum Communication Infrastructure Initiative will be composed of a terrestrial segment relying on fiber communications networks linking strategic sites at national and cross-border levels, and a space segment based on satellites. There are other initiatives around the world for terrestrial and space-based QKD. In the UAE, our quantum communications team, led by Dr James A. Grieve, successfully built an entanglement-based QKD system for secure communications over metropolitan fiber links. For Space QKD, we’ve built Abu Dhabi Quantum Optical Ground Station (ADQOGS) which is the region’s first and largest optical ground station dedicated for QKD. These examples give a glimpse of a dynamic international landscape. In many places QKD adoption is already underway. This is important, as current forecasts suggest the threat to traditional cryptosystems posed by quantum computing is accelerating, and migration to a comprehensive quantum-safe strategy (including QKD) cannot happen overnight.
Q: Can you please explain the role satellites play in QKD?
SAP: The QKD signal consists of single photons and is not a strong optical signal like those typically used in communication fibers. Additionally, we now understand that we cannot disturb the photons, which means the signal cannot be amplified. The transmission of the QKD signal over fiber links is efficient for short distances, such as 50 km, which is suitable for metropolitan areas. However, when transmitting a quantum key over longer distances, fiber losses will attenuate the photons, resulting in a high QBER. In such cases, transmitting photons in free space, particularly in space, is more efficient, as photon losses in the atmosphere are much lower than in fiber. In this scenario, a satellite equipped with a quantum source (Alice), a quantum receiver (Bob), or both can be used as a trusted node.
Q: Are there QKD solutions available commercially today?
SAP: Yes, commercial QKD solutions are available today, with companies like ID Quantique, Toshiba, and ThinkQuantum, offering secure communication systems for sectors such as finance, government, and critical infrastructure. These solutions typically involve fiber-based QKD for short distances, while others such as SpeQtral and SES, are developing satellite-based solutions for long-distance secure communication. Standardizing QKD is essential to ensure interoperability, security, and scalability across different platforms and industries. Having globally accepted standards will also facilitate smoother integration with existing infrastructure and promote widespread adoption. ETSI (the European Telecommunications Standards Institute) is now working on various specifications for QKD standardization which will facilitate faster scalability of this technology.
Q: What advice do you have for corporates?
SAP: Start adopting novel quantum solutions and avoid seeking quick or inexpensive fixes. Engage in proof-of-concept (PoC) trials that allow scientists to demonstrate and apply these groundbreaking and disruptive technologies. At TII, we are actively working on minimizing ‘quantum adaptation’ costs with solutions like the ‘Last Mile QKD’ that we are developing. Standardization will inevitably follow, but it often comes later. The only way to accelerate progress is by creating use cases and PoCs. So, reach out and participate in a live trial.
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