Ultra-Compact, Field-Deployable, Quantum-Compatible Receiver for Free-Space Optical Communication

Quantum Opus is excited to propose compactifying, enclosing, and automating ALL of the required vacuum, cryogenics, and electrical systems of a superconducting nanowire single-photon detection system into a 14-inch tall by 17-inch wide by 18-inch deep package and re-engineering the optical collection mechanisms to be compatible with existing NASA telescope infrastructure. The end product will be a multi-optical-channel, rack-mountable system roughly the size of an oscilloscope which can, at the push of a button, or remote command, go from a completely dormant to active state. This would include: pumping out its own vacuum can, activating the integrated helium compressor at appropriate vacuum pressure, and biasing the nanowire detectors at desired base temperature, while enabling continuous counting for near-infrared photons at rates approaching 1 GHz on each optical channel. Wall plug power draw will be le;500 W and down time for maintenance will only be required every 50,000 hours of run time. The system will host two types of detector payloads, single-mode fiber coupled detectors for integration into terrestrial fiber-optic quantum communications networks and detectors coupled to 50-micron core graded-index multimode fibers for connection to telescopes for either classical or quantum free-space communication. Dark count rates are expected to be between 1 and 10 dark counts Hz per 1550-nm mode for a net dark rate of 1 to 10 kHz for the multimode coupled devices. This will be a transformational technology enabling global-scale deployment of receiver stations for a space-integrated, hybrid classical/quantum, optical communications network for high-rate optical data return from and unassailable secure command and control communications to space telescopes, asteroid mining craft, and other remotely controllable spacecraft.