Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Green-MIQUEC (Low-powered microwave quantum-enhanced communication: conceptualisation and preliminary design)
Reporting period: 2020-03-01 to 2022-02-28
This project aims to design a quantum-secure protocol for open-air microwave quantum communication working with low-powered electronics. At the fundamental level, this proposal investigates the conditions for implementing metrological protocols using propagating quantum microwaves. In particular, the project investigates how to use open-air quantum microwaves - be in space or in the atmosphere - in order to apply a quantum version of backscatter communication showing a quantum advantage in realistic scenarios. In backscatter communication, a signal sent by a server is scattered back by a tag, that embeds the information via a passive operation. This operation can be implemented without spending energy. It is an important paradigm for the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, where a group of objects embedded with sensors in the same environment is able to exchange information with users via a communication network. The quantum advantage consists in performing the protocol in a more efficient way with respect to using classically available technology, and ensuring unconditionally security through the concept of "covertness".
Backscatter communication is seen as a promising candidate for the sixth generation of massive machine-type communication solutions. IoT technology itself has applications that range from smart homes, where household appliances are connected to a unique server and their status can be checked and controlled remotely, to healthcare and general industrial process controls. Therefore, the results of this project have strong implications beyond their inherent academic values. Indeed, improving the security and efficiency of IoT-like protocols is a great deal for the next-generation technology.
This project put the basis for future development on the quantum-secureness and efficiency of backscatter communication protocol, via key results on quantum/classical covert communication and by proposing entanglement-assisted protocols aimed to improve the capacity of the communicating channels.
Backscatter communication is seen as a promising candidate for the sixth generation of massive machine-type communication solutions. IoT technology itself has applications that range from smart homes, where household appliances are connected to a unique server and their status can be checked and controlled remotely, to healthcare and general industrial process controls. Therefore, the results of this project have strong implications beyond their inherent academic values. Indeed, improving the security and efficiency of IoT-like protocols is a great deal for the next-generation technology.
This project put the basis for future development on the quantum-secureness and efficiency of backscatter communication protocol, via key results on quantum/classical covert communication and by proposing entanglement-assisted protocols aimed to improve the capacity of the communicating channels.
Research and training have been carried out intensively during the two years. From the research point of view, we have applied risk management to change and adapt the promised results to more promising and relevant paradigms. In this context, the Fellow has published 2 articles and 1 conference proceeding and submitted 5 articles.
From the training point of view, the Fellow has pursued courses in Finnish language and pedagogy, offered by Aalto University. Moreover, intense training in critical quantum systems and superconducting circuits has been implemented via two periods of secondment, each three months long: CNR-IFN (Rome, Italy) with Dr. Simone Felicetti and WMI (Garching, Germany) with Dr. Kirill Fedorov and Prof. Rudolf Gross.
From the training point of view, the Fellow has pursued courses in Finnish language and pedagogy, offered by Aalto University. Moreover, intense training in critical quantum systems and superconducting circuits has been implemented via two periods of secondment, each three months long: CNR-IFN (Rome, Italy) with Dr. Simone Felicetti and WMI (Garching, Germany) with Dr. Kirill Fedorov and Prof. Rudolf Gross.
The research has been carried out in three parts:
Objective 1: LOW-POWER QUANTUM SENSING. We have fully characterized the metrological power of the important bosonic attenuation channel. We have developed novel sensing protocols in the context of critical quantum systems. We have been part of an international experimental collaboration developing an analog quantum teleportation protocol, that can be used as a remote sensor. DELIVERABLES: 1 published article, 1 published proceeding, 4 submitted articles.
Objective 2: LOW-POWER QUANTUM COMMUNICATION. We have proposed a feasible covert quantum communication protocol in the microwave regime, using superconducting microwave circuit platforms. We have shown that entanglement can achieve a covert capacity of up to 4 times larger than using classical technology. This means that communication can in principle be transmitted four times faster while being unconditionally secured. DELIVERABLES: 1 published article.
Objective 3: COVERT COMMUNICATION. We have developed a scenario to allow arbitrary communication rates in covert communication, using backscatter communication technology. DELIVERABLES: 1 published article and 1 submitted article.
This last objective solves a long-standing problem in covert communication and shall bring exciting applications in IoT scenarios. So far, our results have been published in high-impact journals, witnessing that they go well beyond the state of the art.
Objective 1: LOW-POWER QUANTUM SENSING. We have fully characterized the metrological power of the important bosonic attenuation channel. We have developed novel sensing protocols in the context of critical quantum systems. We have been part of an international experimental collaboration developing an analog quantum teleportation protocol, that can be used as a remote sensor. DELIVERABLES: 1 published article, 1 published proceeding, 4 submitted articles.
Objective 2: LOW-POWER QUANTUM COMMUNICATION. We have proposed a feasible covert quantum communication protocol in the microwave regime, using superconducting microwave circuit platforms. We have shown that entanglement can achieve a covert capacity of up to 4 times larger than using classical technology. This means that communication can in principle be transmitted four times faster while being unconditionally secured. DELIVERABLES: 1 published article.
Objective 3: COVERT COMMUNICATION. We have developed a scenario to allow arbitrary communication rates in covert communication, using backscatter communication technology. DELIVERABLES: 1 published article and 1 submitted article.
This last objective solves a long-standing problem in covert communication and shall bring exciting applications in IoT scenarios. So far, our results have been published in high-impact journals, witnessing that they go well beyond the state of the art.