Luxembourg Experimental Network for Quantum Communication Infrastructure (LUX4QCI )

Challenges

Securing data on the Internet is, and will always be, vital. To preserve confidentiality when transmitting data over the network (via email, on shared servers, etc.), encryption is widely recommended and used. However, new computers that use the principles of quantum mechanics (like superposition or entanglement of particle states) are being developed. These quantum computers - likely to arrive on the market in the medium-term future – are expected to solve types of very complex calculations over a very short period and thus easily break traditional encryption algorithms.

So, the existing infrastructures must be adapted to ensure maximum data privacy and secure connections in the future. All interconnected networks have to be thoroughly rethought and turned into strong and secure quantum networks, anticipated as the communication networks of the future.

Ambition

The project partners consortium will design, develop, procure and implement the first experimental Quantum Communication Infrastructure (QCI) network in Luxembourg. They will integrate both Fiber-Optic (FO)-based terrestrial and the Free Space Optical (FSO)-based satellite segment. The partners also aim to make Luxembourg a QCI front-runner and a hub for secure key distribution across the European Union.

To achieve such goals, cases of interest for application scenarios of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)-enhanced secure communications will be identified, system architecture and the underlying QCI network topology will be designed. Then, a security analysis of its selected architectural elements will be conducted while selection, procurement, integration, and experimental testing of its hardware and software components will be performed.

As in the other European countries leading a national project of that kind, Lux4QCI will also pave the way for future bilateral and multilateral interconnectivity with respectively, the other QCI networks and the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) Initiative.

Involvement

Restena provides to the project team parts of its national backbone shared by the Luxembourg research and education community, namely the RESTENA network. Its network will interconnect the project partners who will run quantum-secured connections over it.

Luxembourg organisations from the research and education community connected to the RESTENA network and the European association GÉANT could directly benefit from this evolution.