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.
