Devices, systems, and methods for free space key exchange

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023208517-A1
Application number	US-202217568441-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 4, 2022
Priority date	Dec 28, 2021
Publication date	Jun 29, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus comprises a support structure and one or more first optical components on the support structure that communicatively couple with a first endpoint. The one or more first optical components are configured to output and receive optical signals that travel over a free space medium to establish a secure link between the first endpoint and a second endpoint.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a support structure; and one or more first optical components on the support structure that communicatively couple with a first endpoint, the one or more first optical components being configured to output and receive optical signals that travel over a free space medium to establish a secure link between the first endpoint and a second endpoint.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first optical components are positioned at a first location on the support structure such that the optical signals output from and received by the one or more optical first components travel toward or away from a second location in the free space medium that is above the first location.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first optical components comprises at least one lens and at least one component that redirects the optical signals.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a mechanism that moves the one or more first optical components.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:
processing circuitry that:
receives a first request to establish the secure link between the first endpoint and the second endpoint;
determines, in response to the first request, a first pose of the one or more first optical components based on a known position of one or more second optical components that communicatively couple to the second endpoint; and
sends a first control signal to the mechanism to move the one or more first optical components to the determined first pose to establish at least part of a first path for the optical signals to travel through the free space medium between one or more first optical components and the one or more second optical components.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry:
receives a second request to establish another secure link between the first endpoint and a third endpoint; determines, in response to the second request, a second pose of the one or more first optical components based on a known position of one or more third optical components that communicatively couple to the third endpoint; and sends a second control signal to the mechanism to move the one or more first optical components to the determined second pose to establish at least part of a second path for the optical signals to travel through the free space medium between the one or more first optical components and the one or more third optical components.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the first endpoint mounted on the support structure; and at least one waveguide on the support structure and optically coupled to the first endpoint and the one or more first optical components.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the secure link is established with the optical signals according to Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocol.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first endpoint comprises an optical transceiver that generates the optical signals according to the QKD protocol to exchange one or more keys and one or more key identifiers with the second endpoint.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the secure link passes data encrypted with the one or more keys between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

11 . A system, comprising:
a first support structure; one or more first optical components on the first support structure that communicatively couple with a first endpoint, the one or more first optical components being configured to output and receive optical signals that travel over a free space medium to establish a secure link between the first endpoint and a second endpoint; a second support structure; and one or more second optical components on the second support structure that communicatively couple with the second endpoint, the one or more second optical components being configured to output and receive the optical signals that travel over the free space medium to establish the secure link between the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

12 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
one or more third optical components positioned above the first structure and the second structure and configured to direct the optical signals toward and away from the one or more first optical components and the one or more second optical components.

13 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a first mechanism that moves the one or more first optical components; and a second mechanism that moves the one or more second optical components.

14 . The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
first processing circuitry that:
receives a first instance of a request to establish the secure link between the first endpoint and the second endpoint;
determines, in response to the first instance of the request, a first pose of the one or more first optical components based on a known position of the one or more second optical components; and
sends a first control signal to the first mechanism to move the one or more first optical components to the determined first pose to establish a first part of a path for the optical signals through the free space medium between the one or more first optical components and the one or more second optical components.

15 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
second processing circuitry that:
receives a second instance of the request to establish the secure link between the first endpoint and the second endpoint;
determines, in response to the second instance of the request, a second pose of the one or more second optical components based on a known position of the one or more first optical components; and
sends a second control signal to the second mechanism to move the one or more second optical components to the determined second pose to establish a second part of the path for the optical signals through the free space medium between the one or more first optical components and the one or more second optical components.

16 . The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
one or more third optical components positioned above the first structure and the second structure, the one or more third optical components being configured to direct the optical signals traveling along the first part of the path to the second part of the path.

17 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first endpoint and the second endpoint comprise optical transceivers that generate the optical signals to exchange one or more keys and one or more key identifiers over the free space medium according to a QKD protocol, thereby establishing the secure link.

18 . A method, comprising:
receiving a request to establish a secure link between a first endpoint and a second endpoint; determining, in response to the request, a pose of one or more first optical components associated with the first endpoint based on a known position of one or more second optical components associated with the second endpoint; and generating a control signal that causes movement of the one or more first optical components to the determined pose to establish at least part of a path for optical signals to travel over a free space medium to the one or more second optical components associated with the second endpoint.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
forming the secure link between the first endpoint and the second endpoint using the optical signals.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the secure link is quantum secure.

Assignees

• Mellanox Technologies Ltd

Inventors

• Bakopoulos Paraskevas
• Mentovich Elad
• Septon Tali
• Syrivelis Dimitrios
• Patronas Ioannis (Giannis)
• Kalavrouziotis Dimitrios
• Oron Moshe

Classifications

• H04B10/11 Primary

  Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum · CPC title

• H04B10/70

  Photonic quantum communication · CPC title