501. JENAer Optikkolloquium

ZUM THEMA
Quantum entanglement is crucial for various applications like quantum-enhanced sensors, secure communications, and distributed computing. However, transmitting entangled states over long distances is a challenge for global-scale implementation. This talk will provide an overview of ongoing efforts in long-distance quantum communication using satellites. It will begin with a brief introduction to secure quantum key distribution using photons, followed by a discussion on the major engineering challenges involved in developing cost-efficient, space-qualified quantum hardware and deploying it on small satellites. The talk will focus on activities and recent progress in Jena, specifically highlighting the CubEniK project, which aims to develop an entanglement-based quantum link from a small satellite platform for secure quantum communication in Germany. Finally, we will explore opportunities for further improvements, in particular the use of hyperentanglement, i.e., entanglement in multiple photonic degrees of freedom, for quantum communication with increased capacity.

DER REFERENT
Fabian Steinlechner received his PhD in 2015 from ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona, where he studied quantum light sources for space applications. He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, focusing on experimental tests of non-locality and entanglement-based quantum communication over long distances. In August 2018, he became a junior research group leader at Fraunhofer IOF, leading the research program "Photonic Technologies for Quantum Communication". In January 2024, he was appointed as a Professor for Experimental Quantum Information at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, where his group's research centers around applied photonic quantum technologies, ranging from engineering entangled states of light to system-level applications.