Optical switches for secure quantum encryption data transmission network

The communication network of the Air Traffic Management system requires highly reliable and secure transmission to protect the secrecy and authenticity of the information being transferred. Systems must meet that criteria and be capable of recognizing and withstanding tempering, spying and physical attacks. These requirements cannot be relaxed without diminishing severely the capability of the communication network, and the consequences of loss of security could be disastrous in the extreme. The only undecipherable encryption method is quantum cryptography in which the encryption key is encoded in a quantum property of the carrier, and detecting a quantum property destroys the quantum coherence, altering its value. This concept implementation requires that the transmission network consisting entirely of optical paths in which random polarization is not destroyed or revealed. SiWave proposes to develop and test a low loss and hardened 32-port all-optical path switch designed for extreme environmental conditions (thermal, vibration, shock) and suitable for quantum encryption applications in this Phase 1 SBIR. During Phase II, SiWave will fabricate and test the optimized switch designed in Phase I. We will demonstrate the performance of the device for quantum encrypted data transmission applications, and propose modifications to extend its capabilities for better performance.