Researchers transmit photons from moving plane in major quantum leap

A consortium of German researchers has achieved a significant breakthrough in quantum communication by successfully transmitting individual photons from a moving DLR Dornier 228 research aircraft to a mobile ground station, verifying their quantum states. This experiment, part of Germany’s QuNET initiative, demonstrated key technologies for quantum key distribution (QKD), which uses photons to create encryption keys that are practically impossible to intercept undetected. The research utilized an optical communication terminal equipped with a quantum-entangled photon generator developed by the Fraunhofer Institute, and a specialized mobile receiving station called QuBUS, which employed advanced tracking and adaptive optics to maintain a stable connection despite atmospheric turbulence. The photons captured by QuBUS were transmitted via fiber optics to an ion trap at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light for detailed quantum state analysis, successfully meeting one of the experiment’s primary objectives. This achievement highlights the potential of mobile platforms like aircraft—and eventually satellites—to establish global, tap-proof quantum communication networks. Such networks promise unprecedented security for governmental and