A proposal for a hybrid free-space optical quantum communication network with hexagonal boron nitride-based single photon sources
Abstract
Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is known as a promising solid-state platform to host room temperature quantum emitters that produce high purity single photons. The bright and spectrally adaptable hBN emitters are space-compatible, making hBN well-suited for satellite-based free-space optical (FSO) quantum key distribution (QKD) at wavelengths where the atmospheric background is naturally suppressed. This paper presents a pathway to develop hBN emitters operating near the Ca-II Fraunhofer line (at 854 nm), enabling daylight FSO operation. Moreover, due to its compatibility with the first telecommunication window at 850 nm, it is possible to interface with optical fibers to bridge the `last mile' in a scenario where multiple end-users connect through a single optical ground station to a QKD satellite. We therefore introduce a concept that combines continuous operation of a quantum network, hybrid links to minimize deployment costs, and high data rates due to the use of realistic single photon sources. The realization would be an important milestone for the development of the quantum internet.
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BibTeX
@misc{chenede2026proposal,
title = {{A proposal for a hybrid free-space optical quantum communication network with hexagonal boron nitride-based single photon sources}},
author = {Julien Chénedé and Mostafa Abasifard and Tjorben Matthes and Aslı Çakan and Tobias Vogl},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.02229},
eprint = {2609.02229},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.02229},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A proposal for a hybrid free-space optical quantum communication network with hexagonal boron nitride-based single photon sources
AU - Julien Chénedé
AU - Mostafa Abasifard
AU - Tjorben Matthes
AU - Aslı Çakan
AU - Tobias Vogl
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/02
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.02229
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.02229
AB - Hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is known as a promising solid-state platform to host room temperature quantum emitters that produce high purity single photons. The bright and spectrally adaptable hBN emitters are space-compatible, making hBN well-suited for satellite-based free-space optical (FSO) quantum key distribution (QKD) at wavelengths where the atmospheric background is naturally suppressed. This paper presents a pathway to develop hBN emitters operating near the Ca-II Fraunhofer line (at 854 nm), enabling daylight FSO operation. Moreover, due to its compatibility with the first telecommunication window at 850 nm, it is possible to interface with optical fibers to bridge the `last mile' in a scenario where multiple end-users connect through a single optical ground station to a QKD satellite. We therefore introduce a concept that combines continuous operation of a quantum network, hybrid links to minimize deployment costs, and high data rates due to the use of realistic single photon sources. The realization would be an important milestone for the development of the quantum internet.
ER -