{
  "abstract": "Realizing a global quantum internet relies on the deployment of robust satellite-based entanglement distribution links. While pioneering demonstrations have established the feasibility of such links, the transition to operational infrastructure demands the validation of robust, integrated space-to-ground architectures. Here, we report on a free-space Quantum Key Distribution experiment conducted over a 1.8 km free-space link using an engineering model of the quantum payload onboard the SpeQtre satellite and the Abu Dhabi Quantum Optical Ground Station. By implementing a BBM92 protocol with polarization-entangled photons, a mean secret key rate of 7.57 kbps with a mean quantum bit error rate of 4.78%+-0.24% was produced. The deployed system featured spectral and spatial filtering approaches identical to those in the space segment, demonstrating their operation in a terrestrial nighttime free-space channel. These results confirm the operational compatibility between the ground and space segments, establishing a critical performance baseline for the SpeQtre mission and future space-based, large-scale quantum networks.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2605.19689",
  "author_total": 11,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Gianluca De Santis"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jia Boon Chin"
    },
    {
      "name": "Srihari Sivasankaran"
    },
    {
      "name": "Konstantin Kravtsov"
    },
    {
      "name": "Chin Chean Lim"
    },
    {
      "name": "Aitor Villar"
    },
    {
      "name": "Robert Bedington"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sana Amairi-Pyka"
    },
    {
      "name": "Eleni Diamanti"
    },
    {
      "name": "Alexander Ling"
    },
    {
      "name": "James A. Grieve"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4vqe57xern7w5.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2605.19689",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "4vqe57xern7w5",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.19689",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "quant-ph"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1702|Quantum Information and Cryptography"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7161805586",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2605.19689",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-28",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4vqe57xern7w5.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:36:22Z",
      "native_id": "2605.19689",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.19689"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:quant-ph",
      "subfield": "quantum"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Terrestrial campaign towards space-to-ground quantum communications with a space-qualified entangled photon-pair system",
  "title_text": "Terrestrial campaign towards space-to-ground quantum communications with a space-qualified entangled photon-pair system",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-01T12:20:44Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/4vqe57xern7w5",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}