The Centre for Research in Telecommunication Technologies (atlanTTic) to host the first national conference on Cybersecurity  

World Quantum Day is celebrated each year on 14^th April. Quantum physics studies the application of the principles of quantum mechanics for developing new technologies and improving existing ones, allowing faster and more secure communication, more efficient computing and more accurate sensors.

The University of Vigo’s Centre for Research in Telecommunication Technologies (atlanTTic), a member of the CIGUS Network, is the Galician benchmark for research into quantum physics. The centre took advantage of this date to present its key projects in this field:

• Vigo Quantum Communication Centre (VQCC)

The Vigo Quantum Communication Centre (VQCC) started life as a team of eight scientists, coordinated by atlanTTic researchers Marcos Curty, the Scientific Director, and Francisco J. Díaz Otero, both faculty members at the University of Vigo’s School of Telecommunication Engineering.  

The aim of the initiative is to become the world’s leading research institute in the understanding and development of quantum communications technologies, set to become the principal driver of the telecommunications industry in the future. This goal will attract world-class scientists, postdoctoral research staff and graduate students to Spain to address key scientific problems in state-of-the-art quantum communications and its applications.

Similarly, quantum learning will be promoted among students in an international research environment, and strong and lasting partnerships will be forged with industries, universities, technology centres and the public sector to develop practical applications of data security in the quantum era.

Core activities will address five key areas of research, represented by the following laboratories:  Satellite Quantum Hub, Quantum Communication Theory Group, Quantum Communication Technology Group, Integrated Photonics Lab and Quantum Hacking & Certification Lab.

• QSI – Quantum Safe Internet

The QSI project is an MSCA-DN doctoral network coordinated by researcher and professor Marcos Curty, designed to enable PhD researchers to advance the field of cybersecurity by developing innovative technologies for researching quantum cryptographic schemes for quantum networks and the distribution of quantum keys with enhanced security and performance.

The project consortium comprises six other European universities of excellence (Sorbonne Université, Università degli Studi di Padova, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, Universiteit Van Amsterdam, Technische universiteit Eindhoven and Danmarks tekniske universitet), in five countries.

• Caramuel

Marcos Curty is also involved in the Caramuel feasibility study, the world’s first satellite mission in geostationary orbit for quantum key distribution. With an ESA budget and spearheaded by Hispasat, it will contribute to the European Commission’s European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) initiative in the space field. As a proof of concept for this mission, a satellite connection for quantum key distribution will be established between two hubs that are in turn connected by terrestrial infrastructure with the signal transmitting and receiving centres; in other words, with users wishing to share the quantum key for secure message encrypting.  

The project will therefore act as a pilot scheme for new ways for governments, major corporations and critical infrastructures to transmit encrypted messages. Marcos Curty is responsible for the protocol assessment work package and is also a member of the mission’s advisory committee. 

• QURSA-Quantum-based Resistant Architectures and Techniques

QURSA is an initiative addressing the scientific and technical developments required for the creation of a flexible QKD network with a general topology, orchestrated on SDN principles and capable of distributing strong quantum keys to various nodes and devices as a network service. In addition to the architecture, SDN control elements and the most appropriate physical QKD mechanisms, QURSA will develop termination nodes for the hybrid classical-quantum network from where it will be possible to obtain keys for incorporation into specific devices or common Internet protocols, integrating them directly into PQC for enhanced security.

Sponsor backing will allow for the creation of a proof of concept to demonstrate this solution.  Ana Fernández Vilas and Manuel Fernández Veiga, members of the atlanTTic research team, are heading this TED project.