Leo and MEO Satellite Links Enabled by Turbulence-Resistant Quantum Communication Systems
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Understanding communication challenges between satellites and ground stations is crucial for modern space-based technologies, and Artur Czerwinski from STARTOVA UMK Sp. z o. o., Jakub J. Borkowski from the Institute of Physics at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, and Saeed Haddadi from the School of Particles and Accelerators at IPM now present a detailed model addressing these issues for Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites. Their work comprehensively analyses signal loss caused by atmospheric effects, diffraction, and turbulence, offering a general method for predicting transmittance along a satellite-to-ground link, considering factors like altitude and viewing angle.
This research significantly advances the design and evaluation of satellite communication systems, providing a critical tool for defining technical specifications, and importantly, the team extends this work to propose a novel scheme for verifying quantum resources transmitted from space, paving the way for continuous monitoring of quantum states within emerging quantum information networks. Their work comprehensively analyses signal loss caused by atmospheric effects, diffraction, and turbulence, offering a general method for predicting transmittance along a satellite-to-ground link, considering factors like altitude and viewing angle.
This research significantly advances the design and evaluation of satellite communication systems, and importantly, the team extends this work to propose a novel scheme for verifying quantum resources transmitted from space, paving the way for continuous monitoring of quantum states within emerging quantum information networks.
Slant Path Transmittance for Satellite Optical Links Scientists developed a comprehensive model to analyze free-space optical communication links between satellites in LEO and MEO and ground stations. The study meticulously accounts for key physical processes impacting signal transmittance, including atmospheric absorption and scattering, free-space diffraction, and fluctuations caused by atmospheric turbulence. Researchers introduced a general method for calculating transmittance along a slant path, incorporating critical parameters such as zenith angle, slant range, and altitude-dependent attenuation to accurately represent signal propagation. This framework supports the design and evaluation of space-based optical links and provides a critical tool for defining technical specifications in satellite communication demonstrators and simulations.
The team employed distinct models to characterize turbulence-induced losses, evaluating photon loss as a function of zenith angle and telescope diameter for both LEO and MEO satellites. Unlike previous studies, this research systematically assesses a range of telescope diameters, enabling a broader and more comprehensive evaluation of system performance. Researchers further extended the analysis to include a quantum use case, proposing a scheme for quantum state tomography performed on states generated by an onboard photon source on a LEO or MEO satellite and transmitted to a ground station. This approach enables continuous verification of the quality of quantum resources, essential for performing quantum protocols within emerging quantum information networks.
Aperture Averaging Mitigates Turbulence in Space Links This research presents a detailed model for estimating photon loss in free-space optical communication links between satellites in LEO and MEO, and ground stations.
The team developed a comprehensive link budget analysis that accounts for atmospheric effects, free-space diffraction, and turbulence, offering a method for calculating transmittance along a slant path considering altitude, range, and angle.
Results demonstrate that aperture averaging, a technique to reduce signal fluctuations, is highly effective in mitigating turbulence for shorter-distance links typical of LEO satellites, significantly smoothing loss curves and improving signal stability. However, the benefit of aperture averaging diminishes considerably over the longer distances associated with MEO satellites, offering limited improvement in signal quality. The study also introduces a quantum communication use case, proposing a method for verifying the quality of quantum resources transmitted from satellite to ground.
The team’s analysis indicates that photon loss values obtained through their model align with general estimates reported in the existing literature for satellite downlinks, though experimental observations often show slightly higher losses. The authors acknowledge that their current model focuses on scintillation effects at the aperture and does not incorporate adaptive optics, a technology that can further improve signal coupling efficiency. Future work will focus on integrating adaptive optics into the framework to provide a more complete and accurate assessment of link performance. The study demonstrates that atmospheric attenuation follows an exponential relationship with propagation distance, modeled by an altitude-dependent attenuation coefficient. Measurements confirm that this coefficient can be approximated using a sea-level value for a specific wavelength, with an exponential decay scale height. Experiments reveal that the overall transmittance is a multiplicative combination of internal losses, atmospheric effects, diffraction losses, and turbulence-induced intensity fluctuations. Beyond classical photon loss analysis, the team introduced a satellite-based quantum state tomography (QST) scheme, utilizing an onboard source to generate polarization-encoded quantum states transmitted to the ground for continuous verification of state quality.
This research connects the transmittance model with a practical method for assessing quantum state quality under atmospheric loss and turbulence, enabling real-time monitoring during operation. 👉 More information 🗞 Optical Downlink Modeling for LEO and MEO Satellites under Atmospheric Turbulence with a Quantum State Tomography Use Case 🧠 ArXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.13828 Tags: