Patient data, financial transactions and highly sensitive political information should be as secure as possible against espionage and attacks. A piece of research infrastructure has now gone into operation on the Ulm University campus: The new quantum key distribution link will be used by researchers from the university and the German Aerospace Centre to test and refine transmitting information using quantum keys. It's the beginning of a new era of quantum communication for the Science City and the entire region!
Quantum-based communication technologies are the future of information transmission: They can be used to send and receive data particularly securely, and undetected eavesdropping is impossible. In order to research this technology, Ulm University and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR ) have set up a joint quantum key distribution test track at Oberer Eselsberg, and successfully tested it for the first time on Monday, 27 January. "For the first time, we are sending bits and pieces of information back and forth between Ulm University and DLR," said University President Professor Michael Weber. Professor Joachim Ankerhold, Vice President Research, added: "This is the start of a research programme that will benefit the entire region." DLR is contributing its expertise in optical communication, space travel and quantum computing to the project. Around 20 guests attended the demonstration at the University East, including Lord Mayor Martin Ansbacher.
The approximately 2.5 kilometre long QKD link - the first in Baden-Württemberg between a university and a non-university institution - runs between University East and DLR's Institute of Quantum Technologies. For the test, both the transmitter and receiver had been placed in a laboratory at the University. Medicine patient data served as sample information, which was transferred from one computer to the other and sent to the DLR institute and back again via an existing fibre optic connection. Although this was done conventionally, the key to accessing this information was transmitted using quantum technology. It cannot be intercepted unnoticed by a hacker attack, a scenario that was also simulated. "Although we can't prevent someone from listening in, we will always be aware of it due to quantum mechanics," explained Professor Ankerhold. "We use the quantum properties of light for this." The quantum key is generated using photons.
The new form of information transmission is to be used in particular wherever highly sensitive, personal data is involved, such as in the Medicine sector. An interdisciplinary team from Ulm University will use the new QKD track for basic/fundamental research in the fields of cryptography, entanglement of quantum bits through to quantum computers and radar applications; DLR will focus on application-oriented research and further development. Joint experiments are also to take place.
The equipment required for the encryption was provided by Quantum Optics Jena. The start-up has also developed suitable software. "We make the quanta visible on the screen," says Managing Director Kevin Füchsel. He explains how quantum encryption works: "We use entangled photon pairs and measure their properties. This allows us to generate a new cryptographic quantum key every minute. If there is an attacker in the system, you can see the disruption immediately." The transmitter and receiver modules look rather unspectacular from the outside: the black boxes are connected to a fibre optic cable that runs 2.5 kilometres to the DLR and back again.
The next steps are already planned: Ulm University and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology are to be connected by a QKD link via the University of Stuttgart. These activities are part of the overall strategy of the state-wide innovation campus QuantumBW, in which companies and research institutions in Baden-Württemberg are driving forward the quantum revolution and putting quantum technology research into practice.
Further information:
Prof. Dr Joachim Ankerhold, Vice President Research at Ulm University, email: joachim.ankerhold(at)uni-ulm.de
Text and media contact: Christine Liebhardt