US-20260128868-A1 - SECURE NON-TERRESTRIAL NETWORK LINKS UTILIZING QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION INTEGRATED INTO A METASURFACE TRANSCODER NODE WITH HARDWARE POLARIZATION CONTROL

US20260128868A1US 20260128868 A1US20260128868 A1US 20260128868A1US-20260128868-A1

Abstract

The technology described herein enhances the security of non-terrestrial network links by integrating quantum key distribution into an optically transparent metasurface transcoder node with hardware-based polarization control. The metasurface, composed of unit cells of metal-insulator transition material (such as vanadium dioxide, vanadium trioxide, or vanadium pentoxide) leverages the dynamic tunability of the metal-insulator transition material to manipulate the polarization and phase of photons, as needed for quantum key distribution protocols. Hardware level integration ensures secure key distribution with minimal signal loss, enhancing the robustness and security of satellite-terrestrial communication. The system dynamically adjusts to environmental conditions, optimizing performance and ensuring high fidelity in quantum key exchange, thereby providing a robust solution for secure communication in non-terrestrial networks. The transcoder's use of quantum key distribution allows for real-time detection of eavesdropping attempts, as interception of the quantum key exchange alters the photons'quantum states, alerting the system to potential security breaches.

Inventors

Tejinder Singh
Navjot Kaur KHAIRA

Assignees

DELL PRODUCTS L.P.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20240930

Claims (20)

1 . A system, comprising: a transcoder device coupled to obtain a data signal, generated by a user equipment, intended for secure communication, wherein the transcoder device outputs photons associated with the signal; and a quantum key distribution metasurface that receives the photons in first quantum states, the quantum key distribution metasurface comprising metal-insulator transition material that is controlled by a controllable phase change profile to manipulate the first quantum states of the photons into second quantum states to result in a photon-manipulated signal, wherein the transcoder device: transmits the photon-manipulated signal to a satellite configured to receive and process the photon-manipulated signal to generate a secure key for establishment of a secure communication link with the transcoder device, receives the secure key, and communicates the data as secure data via a secure communication link, based on the secure key, to the satellite.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the metal-insulator transition material comprises at least one of: vanadium dioxide, vanadium trioxide, or vanadium pentoxide, and wherein the controllable phase change profile is based on a controllable heater network or a controllable electrical stimulation network.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second quantum states comprise at least one of: changed polarizations of the photons in the second quantum states relative to the first quantum states, or changed phases of the photons in the second quantum states relative to the first quantum states.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the secure key is a first secure key, and wherein the quantum key distribution metasurface is controlled to change the first secure key to a second secure key in a change pattern known to the satellite and the transcoder box.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the quantum key distribution metasurface comprises a unit cell having insulating and conductive areas.
6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the conductive areas of the unit cell correspond to a group of poles.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the group of poles comprises two inner poles, two outer poles and a cross pole.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the two inner poles and the two outer poles are substantially parallel to one another, and wherein the cross pole extends diagonally between a first pair comprising a first outer pole and a first inner pole, and a second pair comprising a second outer pole and a second inner pole.
9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the cross pole is conductively coupled to the inner poles.
10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the controllable phase change profile comprises a first phase change profile, wherein the two inner poles are separated by an inner spacing gap, and wherein changing the controllable phase change profile changes the first phase change profile to a second phase change profile that changes the inner spacing gap, resulting in changing the quantum states of the photons from first quantum states to second quantum states.
11 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the controllable phase change profile comprises a first phase change profile, wherein the cross pole comprises a first length dimension, a first width dimension, and a first angle, and wherein changing the first phase change profile to a second phase change profile changes at least one of: the first length dimension to a second length dimension, the first width dimension to a second width dimension, or the first angle to a second angle, resulting in changing the quantum states of the photons from first quantum states to second quantum states.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the quantum key distribution metasurface comprises a unit cell comprising a conductive inner pole, wherein the conductive inner pole comprises a first length dimension, a first width dimension, and a first angle, and wherein changing the controllable phase change profile comprises changing the first phase change profile to a second phase change profile changes at least one of: the first length dimension to a second length dimension, the first width dimension to a second width dimension, or the first angle to a second angle, resulting in changing the quantum states of the photons from first quantum states to second quantum states.
13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the quantum key distribution metasurface comprises a unit cell comprising a conductive outer pole, wherein the conductive outer pole comprises a first length dimension, a first width dimension, and a first angle, wherein the controllable phase change profile comprises a first phase change profile, and wherein changing the first phase change profile to a second phase change profile changes at least one of: the first length dimension to a second length dimension, the first width dimension to a second width dimension, or the first angle to a second angle, resulting in changing the quantum states of the photons from first quantum states to second quantum states.
14 . A method comprising: obtaining, by a system comprising at least one processor, a data signal intended for secure communication; obtaining, by the system, photons at a first metasurface, comprising metal-insulator metal material, configured for quantum key distribution; controlling, by the system, a heater network to determine conductive and non-conductive areas of a metal-insulator transition material, wherein the metasurface manipulates polarization of the photons, based on conductive and non-conductive areas determined by the heater network, to obtain manipulated photons; transmitting, by the system, the manipulated photons to a second metasurface proximate to a satellite, the second metasurface configured for quantum key distribution; in response to the transmitting of the manipulated photons, receiving, by the system, a secure key from the satellite, wherein the secure key is based on the manipulated photons; and transmitting, by the system, the data signal to the satellite as an encrypted data signal based on the secure key.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the conductive and non-conductive areas are first conductive and non-conductive areas, wherein the manipulated photons are first manipulated photons, wherein the secure key is a first secure key, and further comprising: controlling, by the system, the heater network to determine second conductive and non-conductive areas of the metal-insulator transition material, wherein the metasurface manipulates polarization of the photons, based on the second conductive and non-conductive areas determined by the heater network, to obtain second manipulated photons, transmitting, by the system, the second manipulated photons to the second metasurface, and in response to the transmitting of the second manipulated photons, receiving, by the system, a second secure key from the satellite.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the second conductive and non-conductive areas correspond to a unit cell of the metasurface, wherein the unit cell comprises a group of poles having a pattern and dimensions corresponding to the first conductive and non-conductive areas, and wherein the controlling of the heater network to the determine second conductive and non-conductive areas changes at least one of: the pattern of the group of poles, or at least one dimension of at least one pole of the group of poles.
17 . A system, comprising: a first quantum key distribution metasurface comprising one or more vanadium alloys controllably heated or electrically stimulated, at a first time, to result in a first state of conductive and non-conductive areas; and a transcoder device that: controls a photon source to output first photons to a satellite via a second quantum key distribution metasurface coupled to the satellite, wherein first quantum states of the first photons are manipulated by the first quantum key distribution metasurface based on the first state of conductive and non-conductive areas, and receives a first secure key from the satellite based on the first quantum states of the first photons, wherein, at a second time, the first quantum key distribution metasurface is controllably heated or electrically stimulated to result in a second state of conductive and non-conductive areas, wherein the second state is different from the first state, and wherein, at the second time, the transcoder device: controls the photon source to output second photons to the satellite, wherein second quantum states of the second photons are manipulated by the first quantum key distribution metasurface based on the second state of conductive and non-conductive areas, and receives a second secure key from the satellite based on the second quantum states of second first photons.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the conductive areas of the unit cell correspond to unit cells, and wherein one of the unit cells comprises respective conductive poles comprising respective first dimensions that manipulate the first quantum states of the first photons at the first time, and comprising respective second dimensions that manipulate the second quantum states of the first photons at the second time.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the respective conductive poles comprise inner poles, outer poles and a cross pole.
20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein at the second time, the first quantum key distribution metasurface is controllably heated or electrically stimulated to change the second state of the metasurface, relative to the first state, by changing at least one of: a length of at least one of the inner poles, a width of at least one of the inner poles, an angle of at least one of the inner poles, a gap distance between the inner poles, a length of at least one of the outer poles, a width of at least one of the outer poles, an angle of at least one of the outer poles, a gap distance between the outer poles, a length of the cross pole, a width of the cross pole, or an angle of cross pole.

Description

BACKGROUND Ensuring secure communication between satellites and terrestrial nodes is highly valuable in virtually any terrestrial-to-non-terrestrial communication system. Traditional encryption methods have become increasingly vulnerable to sophisticated attacks, leading to the adoption of advanced security protocols like quantum key distribution (QKD). However, implementing QKD in non-terrestrial networks poses significant challenges, including the need for precise control over photon properties and the mitigation of signal loss during transmission. Existing solutions often fail to provide the dynamic control and efficiency needed for reliable QKD. Moreover, various QKD solutions are very expensive to implement. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The technology described herein is illustrated by way of example and not limited in the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements and in which: FIG. 1 is a representation of an example system for quantum key distribution (QKD) based on metasurfaces, in accordance with various example embodiments and implementations of the subject disclosure. FIG. 2 is a representation of example hardware of a QKD system, in accordance with various example embodiments and implementations of the subject disclosure. FIG. 3 is a representation of a QKD metasurface manipulating photons, in accordance with various example embodiments and implementations of the subject disclosure. FIG. 4 is a top view representation of an example unit cell of a QKD metasurface as described herein, illustrating various non-conductive and conductive (poles) areas, and various controllable dimensions that determine photon quantum state (e.g., polarization) manipulation, in accordance with various example embodiments and implementations of the subject disclosure. FIGS. 5A and 5B are top view representations of an example unit cell of a QKD metasurface, illustrating changes to dimensions of various non-conductive and conductive (poles) areas that determine photon quantum state (e.g., polarization) manipulation, in accordance with various example embodiments and implementations of the subject disclosure. FIGS. 6 and 7 comprise a sequence diagram showing secure key distribution between a non-terrestrial satellite and a terrestrial transcoder device and user equipment, in accordance with various example embodiments and implementations of the subject disclosure. FIG. 8 is a graphical representation of resistivity versus temperature curve for example metal-insulator-transition material showing the transition between metallic and insulator states, in accordance with various example embodiments and implementations of the subject disclosure. FIG. 9 is a graphical representation of the rise time constant of the example metal-insulator-transition material into the metallic and insulating phases, in accordance with various example embodiments and implementations of the subject disclosure. FIG. 10 is a flow diagram showing example operations related to photon manipulation based on controlling dimensions of metal-insulator metal material unit cells of a metasurface for quantum key distribution, in accordance with various example embodiments and implementations of the subject disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The technology described herein is generally directed towards a hardware-based implementation of photon polarization control for tamperproof transmission, based on integrating quantum key distribution (QKD) and metasurfaces. The technology facilitates real-time eavesdropping detection, in that a transcoder device that uses QKD, as interception of the quantum key exchange in an eavesdropping attempt alters the quantum states of the photons, alerting the system to potential security breaches virtually instantaneously. The metasurface can be manufactured and designed with unit cells that are based on a metal-insulator-transition material such as vanadium dioxide (VO2). This facilitates photon polarization control by controllably heating portions of the unit cells to determine the conductive versus non-conductive portions of the unit cells. It should be understood that any of the examples and/or descriptions herein are non-limiting. Thus, any of the embodiments, example embodiments, concepts, structures, functionalities or examples described herein are non-limiting, and the technology may be used in various ways that provide benefits and advantages in RF communications and RF devices in general. Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “one implementation,” “an implementation,” etc. means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic and/or attribute described in connection with the embodiment/implementation can be included in at least one embodiment/implementation. Thus, the appearances of such a phrase “in one embodiment,” “in an implementation,” etc. in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the sa