The PoliCom laboratoryteam of the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering of the Politecnico di Milano is taking part in the QUID (Quantum Italy Deployment) project, the Italian branch of the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI) promoted by the European Commission with the aim of creating a European infrastructure for quantum communication.
During the project, existing fibre and wireless communication infrastructures, will be integrated and equipped with quantum cryptographic key distribution (QKD) systems, which will cover a large part of the national territory. QUID will also promote the development of Italian companies that manufacture systems and services for quantum communications for different user categories.
The main purpose of QUID will be the development of nodes in metropolitan quantum communication networks (QMANs), interconnected by means of the Italian Quantum Backbone, an infrastructure that covers the Italian territory and distributes time and frequency signals using commercial optical fibres. Quantum key exchanges between nodes will use discrete variable QKD systems. QUID will also link the quantum fibre-optic infrastructure and the important sites of the European QCI space segment.
QUID will also promote the development of methods for the optimal distribution of quantum communication services. Finally, QUID will pursue the development of innovative techniques for QKD, to increase the transmission rate, both using advanced optical fibres and wireless transmission.
The QUID consortium, led by the Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRiM), brings together leading Italian companies in the sector, the main research institutes involved in quantum communications, for both the terrestrial and space segments, and universities involved in innovation and training.