The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias is designing and developing, as ordered by the Spanish company Thales Alenia Space, the adaptive optics which will be a parto f the ground station for the GARBO project, the first Spanish geostationary system for distributing quantum keys by satellite. This is a decisive step in the field of secure quantum communication on a large scale, and will strengthn the position of Spain, and of Europe at the Forefront of this technology.
Within the framework of the project the IAC will lead the development of the adaptive optics systems, and will participate in the tests of the prototypes, which will take place between the Optical Ground Station (OGS) at the Teide Observatory (Tenerife) and the Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope (JKT) at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (La Palma).The distance of 144 kilometres between them will permit the evaluation of the robustness and the efficiency of the system of quantum communications along a path which has continuous atmospheric turbulence.
The adaptive optics is a key component to compensate for the distortions caused by the atmospheric turbulence.In this project is main function will be to mitigate this turbulence and make it possible to transmit the quantum keys at aceptable velocities, an esencial process for the security of communications in the future. The IAC, as a public research organization, will bring to bear its long experience in front rank astronomical instrumentation, and in the implementation of adaptive optics systems, of which the adaptive optics within the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) is an example.
The GARBO project is a technological milestone for Europe, and is the first initiative of this type to be driven by Spain. It comes with the growing world-wide demand for quantum communications networks. These networks are base don the distribution of cryptographic keys via the interchange of individual photons, a method which used the laws of quantum physics to ensure an unprecedented degree of security.
"The collaboration of the IAC with Thales Alenia Space in the GARBO project shows the clear desire of the IAC to contribute with its knowledge and its technology to fields outside astronomy, in this case to improve the security of quantum communications. “We are proud to be a part of the multidisciplinary team which will take Spain into the front line in the distribution of quantum keys from Space” said Luis Fernando Rodriguez Ramos, the Principal Investigator of the project Optical Communications in Free Space, of the IAC.
Carrying out the tests of the project at the observatories on Tenerife and La Palma will consolidate the role of the network of telescopes at the IAC at an international reference in the development of advanced technical solutions, no only for the observation of the universe, but also for application with a direct impact on society, such as optical communications in space.
Contacts at the IAC:
Luis Fernando Rodriguez Ramos, lrr [at] iac.es (lrr[at]iac[dot]es)
Jorge Socas Negrín, jorge.socas [at] iac.es (jorge[dot]socas[at]iac[dot]es)
