Contributions to free-space optical communications: feasibility of utilizing Cherenkov telescopes as receivers and beam-wander correction in quantum communications

TL;DR

This thesis explores using Cherenkov telescopes as ground stations for free-space optical communications and proposes a turbulence correction system to enhance quantum key distribution under atmospheric disturbances.

Contribution

It introduces the novel idea of repurposing Cherenkov telescopes for optical communication and develops a turbulence correction method for quantum key distribution.

Findings

Cherenkov telescopes can be feasible ground stations for FSOC.

A turbulence correction system improves QKD performance.

Economies of scale can reduce costs of large telescopes.

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the two main applications where free-space optical communication (FSOC) can bring the most significant impact: interplanetary communications and quantum communications. Consequently, the dissertation is structured in two sections. In the first one, a novel proposal is suggested regarding to using Cherenkov telescopes as ground-station receivers. A feasibility study addresses the posibility of using the technology developed for the gamma-ray telescopes that will make up the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) in the implementation of a new kind of ground station. Among the main advantages that these telescopes provide are the much larger apertures needed to overcome the power limitation that ground-based gamma-ray astronomy and deep-space optical communication both have. Also, the large number of big telescopes that will be built for CTA will make it possible to reduce unitary costs by economy-scale production. The second section of the thesis is framed in the field of free-space Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), which has become a new paradigm in the discipline of information security. This technique offers a theoretically-secure way to communicate over an insecure channel since the presence of an eventual eavesdropper can be detected. The main challenge of Free-space QKD is the need to operate both under strong atmospheric turbulence and daylight background noise. To mitigate these effects, a trade-off is usually required when designing the receiver's optics, since a narrow field-of-view improves background noise rejection, but increases turbulence-related losses and a wide field-of-view produces the opposite effect. A correction system for atmospheric turbulence is proposed to overcome both limitations at the same time, and different strategies are analyzed and experimented to carry out the implementation and integration within the QKD system.