Chen Zhao-Yuan, Liu Yan-Fei, Chen Cheng, Gao Yang, Zheng Hao
Opt Express. 2024 Jan 15;32(2):2015-2028. doi: 10.1364/OE.507260.
Quantum communication satellites have potential for applications in future quantum networks. Photonics integrated chips, due to their compact and lightweight nature, are well-suited for satellite deployment. However, the harsh radiation environment of space can cause permanent damage to these chips, resulting in degraded performance or complete loss of functionality. In this work, we conducted a series of radiation experiments to evaluate the effects of γ rays and high energy protons on quantum key distribution transmitter chips. The results suggest that the insertion loss of the chip is slightly reduced by about 1.5 dB after 100 krad (Si) γ ray irradiation, and further reduced by about 0.5 to 1 dB after 2.39 × 10/cm proton radiation. The half-wave voltages, extinction ratios, and polarization angles are not changed significantly within the measurement error range. Our work proves the feasibility of deploying quantum constellations utilizing terminals based on photonics chips.
量子通信卫星在未来量子网络中具有应用潜力。光子集成芯片由于其紧凑轻便的特性，非常适合卫星部署。然而，太空恶劣的辐射环境会对这些芯片造成永久性损坏，导致性能下降或功能完全丧失。在这项工作中，我们进行了一系列辐射实验，以评估γ射线和高能质子对量子密钥分发发射机芯片的影响。结果表明，在100千拉德（硅）γ射线辐照后，芯片的插入损耗略有降低，约为1.5分贝，在2.39×10/cm质子辐射后进一步降低约0.5至1分贝。在测量误差范围内，半波电压、消光比和偏振角没有明显变化。我们的工作证明了利用基于光子芯片的终端部署量子星座的可行性。
