On March 12, 2025, we had the honor of welcoming the President of the Slovak Republic, Peter Pellegrini, to the Institute of Physics Slovak Academy of Sciences. His visit was a significant milestone not only for us but also for the entire Slovak quantum technology community. The President expressed great interest in quantum communication, its security advantages, and its potential for Slovakia. During our discussions, we explored how quantum technologies could fundamentally strengthen cybersecurity infrastructure in the years to come.
Quantum-Secured Communication
One of the key topics of discussion was the importance of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), which can detect any attempt at eavesdropping on communication. We presented the Slovak Quantum Communication Infrastructure (skQCI) project to the President, which is developing a secure quantum network for Slovakia as part of the EuroQCI European initiative. The President expressed interest in further collaboration and support for this initiative, recognizing its significance role in future-proofing encrypted communication against the potential threats posed by quantum computers.
Practical Demonstration: Quantum Key in Action
During the laboratory tour, we showcased our newly developed entanglement-based QKD prototype, which utilizes a demultiplexing Quantum Network Provider. This system enables a fully meshed QKD topology with four nodes, developed in collaboration with Quantum Optics Jena GmbH, and demonstrates the generation of six key pools between the four nodes. In our Research Center for Quantum Information (RCQI) labs, we achieved kilobit-per-second secure key rates, marking a significant step toward the practical deployment of QKD in real-world communication networks.
The eavesdropper detection!
QKD is designed to demonstrate an eavesdropping attempt, we decided to demonstrate this feature in practice. We manipulated the optical fiber bundle during the transmission of quantum keys. As a result the system detected the tampering, immediately stopped the production of cryptographic primitives and waited for the Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER) to return below the security threshold of standard QKD security proofs. This demonstration underlined the unique feature of QKD – instant detection of tampering
What does this mean for Slovakia?
Building a quantum communications infrastructure is a crucial step towards the future of secure communications. Quantum key distribution is a technology that will protect critical data not only in government, but also in industry and the financial sector. The President’s visit highlighted Slovakia’s growing expertise in this area and created space for future strategic partnerships between the scientific community and the government. The development of quantum infrastructure within skQCI continues with planned network expansion and further experiments to optimize QKD protocols.
We are glad that our scientific work has attracted attention at the highest level and look forward to further steps towards the implementation of quantum secure communication in Slovakia! 🚀🔬