Quantum optical ground station

The quantum optical ground station on Hafelekar is conceived as a platform for satellite-based quantum communication. At its core is a 1 m Ritchey–Chrétien telescope that provides the optical aperture required for long-distance free-space quantum links. The system is complemented by a polarization-entangled photon-pair source based on a Sagnac interferometer, delivering high-brightness and intrinsically phase-stable entanglement suitable for distribution to spaceborne platforms. The telescope system integrates high-accuracy tracking and beam stabilization to mitigate atmospheric turbulence and mechanical jitter. On the receiver side, a six-state polarization analyzer implemented with passive basis choice and avalanche photodiodes enables full state tomography and quantum key distribution protocols such as BB84 and BBM92. The overall architecture is designed for compatibility with upcoming quantum communication satellites, including QEYSSat and EAGLE-1, providing a testbed for secure global quantum networks and performance benchmarking under realistic atmospheric conditions

Learn more about the Quantum Optical Ground Station “Marietta Blau”

More details about the new telescope fromASA Astrosysteme GmbH can be found here.

Here is a great video about the installation from our partner, INNOVAMETALL GmbH

In a spectacular helicopter operation, more than five tons of scientific equipment were transported to the mountain in multiple flights under ideal weather conditions

Here you can find a video report from an ORF broadcast in which Gregor Weihs visited the Hafelekar during the installation of the telescope

 An excellent article by Michael Domanig about our upcoming high-altitude quantum ground station “Marietta Blau” at Hafelekar near Innsbruck