Ride the Light
In the beginning, there was the photon.
Originally "discovered" by Albert Einstein and called lichtquant (German for "particle of light"), the photon ushered in the new field of quantum mechanics.
Generating photons is easy: cavemen have been creating them since the invention of fire.
But these photons are uncontrolled. A candle, lightbulb, or flashlight, all basically work on the same principle: inject some energy and photons of all colors (wavelengths) are released in all different directions.

The big breakthrough in harnessing photons came with the invention of the maser, then the laser, starting in the 1950s. The unruly photon was tamed, channeled into a steady flow of single color (wavelength) photons marching in the same direction, efficiently delivering their packets of energy with minimal loss and scattering.
Lasers changed the world, especially for high-speed communications.
By rapidly turning a laser off and on, a rapid stream of zeros and ones, known as bits, are efficiently routed through the glass of fiber optic cables or through space. While we rely on RF (Radio Frequency) signals or ethernet cables for our last-mile internet usage, 95% of the world's data is delivered via laser across the seas.

But our ability to manipulate photons hasn't stopped there.
We now have the ability to manipulate and measure the quantum properties of individual photons, and even create pairs of photons that are entangled.
Unlike classical communications that use lots of photons to create bits, in this case each photon becomes a source of quantum information: a qubit.
Since a qubit is fundamentally random, it is not a good source for transferring classical communications. But it is very secure: if designed properly, only the transmitter and receiver can decode the hidden information contained in a qubit, thwarting a potential "eavesdropper."
But this is the tip of the iceberg. Just as the invention of the laser in 1960 led to new applications unforeseen at the time, today we are starting to realize new applications unleashed by the quantum properties of photons. We are now in the midst of The Second Quantum Revolution that allows us to not only shape these quantum properties, but wrangle them with existing laser hardware to realize this new potential (See below).

Last Newsletter Theme: Zero Trust in the Quantum Era

• Xairos is proud to announce it has been selected by X-lumin, provider of turn-key systems for optical wireless communications, to provide key equipment to support their delivery of Transportable Optical Ground Stations for the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA)!
• In addition, Xairos announced participation in the TNO KiQQer project that successfully demonstrated free-space Quantum Time Transfer over 150 meters, working with world-renowned quantum researchers and partners.
• These projects allow us to develop commercially-viable quantum+optical terminals and ground stations, working with strong partners and major customers, including the US Space Force.
• We now have six funded projects with a wide range of customers. Here are a few updates:
  • Preparing a Poster Presentation for the ESA NAVISP Industry Day on March 5 highlighting our work on Project Apollo, while also preparing for a Phase I Final Report in March.
  • Preparing for a Detailed Design Review for our Project Aristocles customer in mid-March.
  • Delivered three mobilizer platforms that will support the X-lumin optical ground station, with work on an engineering model of a free-space optical terminal and modems that will enable the free-space optical communications link for field testing for their SDA project (formerly named Project Hermes).
  • Development of our quantum+optical terminal is proceeding well, and preparing for a CDR in April for our US Space Force customer (formerly named Project Chronos).
  • Testing has completed on TNO KiQQer version, so now looking at an expanded future project (formerly named Project Medusa).
  • Held a Kickoff Meeting for a new project for a free-space quantum time transfer field demonstration in September working with leading quantum hardware and quantum security partners. We call this Project Cyclops.
• Also we are hard at work on a pair of R&D projects:
  • A project with University of Colorado Quantum Forge students to develop a Bell State test.
  • A portable free-space Quantum Time Transfer demonstration kit so that we can take our entangled photons on the road for customer and conference demonstrations. Stay tuned!
• Our CEO is joining four other space security experts on a panel to discuss "Space 2.0 - The Impact of AI, Cyber, and Data on Space Operations" at the Miami Space Summit.
• Also preparing for a presentation at the Ground Station Architecture Workshop (GSAW) 2025 on “Optical Ground Stations & Quantum Advancements in Timing and Encryption in Contested and Congested Environments."

• A detailed six-month analysis of GPS jamming in the Baltic Sea found a total of "84 hours of GNSS interference was detected," consisting primarily of "multi-constellation jamming...affecting multiple GNSS systems" and "multi-tone interference...suggesting a change in jamming tactics, potentially signaling more sophisticated techniques."
• The 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) Opening Ceremony was held to celebrate "100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics."
• The DOE Quantum Leadership Act of 2025 was introduced in the US Senate "to expand quantum research with over $2.5 billion in funding over five years," joining the $2.7B National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act in the US House of Representatives.
• Meanwhile, China's Institute of Commercial Cryptography Standards (ICCS) announced they are soliciting proposals for post-quantum cryptographic (PQC) algorithms independent of the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) PQC efforts.
• A recent National Endowment for Democracy (NED) report warns "China’s quantum advances could shift the balance of cybersecurity, particularly through the potential to break conventional encryption and the export of quantum-secured communication systems."
• In our large-scale world, we know that time runs only in one direction - bad sci-fi movies aside. But what about at the small-scale world? Researchers believe that "time-reversal symmetry is maintained" at the quantum level suggesting that there are "opposing arrows of time in open quantum systems."
• Ukraine has turned to drones connected with fiber optic cables "as a solution to electronic warfare" which has become "a major element of the high-stakes technology race driving combat innovation."

• Miami Space Summit, February 20 - 21, Miami, Florida - Panel discussion on "Space 2.0 - The Impact of AI, Cyber, and Data on Space Operations"
• Ground Station Architecture Workshop (GSAW) 2025, February 24 - 27, El Segundo, California - catch our presentation titled “Optical Ground Stations & Quantum Advancements in Timing and Encryption in Contested and Congested Environments”
• AFA Warfare Symposium, March 3 - 5, Aurora, Colorado
• NAVISP Industry Days 2025, March 4 - 5, London, UK - catch our poster presentation!
• Satellite 2025, March 10 - 13, Washington DC
• Space-Comm Expo, March 11 -12, London, UK
• Space Symposium, April 7 - 10, Colorado Springs, Colorado - Stay Tuned!
• Nemertes [NEXT], April 7 - 10, Nashville, TN - presenting!
• Workshop on Synchronization and Timing Systems (WSTS), May 12 - 15, 2025, Savannah, GA
• European Navigation Conference, May 21 - 23, 2025, Wroclaw, Poland
• Joint Navigation Conference (JNC) 2025, June 2 - 5, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Quantum World Congress, September 16 - 18, Tysons, Virginia
• World Space Business Week, September 15 - 19, Paris, France
• International Timing and Sync Forum (ITSF), October 27 - 30, Prague, Czech Republic
• UK National Quantum Technologies Showcase, November 7, London, UK
• UK PNT Leadership Seminar, November, London, UK

The development of entangled photon hardware was originally developed for secure communication applications, specifically quantum key distribution (QKD) and quantum random number generation (QRNG).
In QKD, the quantum properties of photons are used to create encryption keys that are inherently secure — any attempt to eavesdrop disturbs the quantum state, making detection unavoidable.
Similarly, QRNG uses the quantum properties to generate truly unpredictable random numbers for cryptographic applications that require high levels of security.
Both QKD and QRNG are defenses against quantum computing threats to classical encryption methods.
And while these applications have driven the maturity of entangled photon systems, other futuristic applications have emerged from these building blocks:

• Quantum Time Transfer (QTT) - if you follow Xairos, you already know this: using entangled photons for secure and accurate time transfer.
• Quantum Networks - typically considered as the ability to network quantum computers via entangled photons, the term more generally refers to QKD networks and networking quantum sensors.
• Quantum Radar - Unlike classical radar, which relies on the reflection of radio waves, quantum radar uses entangled photon pairs. One photon is sent toward a target while its entangled twin is retained for comparison. Even in the presence of traditional jamming, the correlation between the entangled photons allows for highly sensitive detection of stealthy objects while reducing susceptibility to electronic countermeasures.
• Quantum LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) - similar to Quantum Radar, Quantum LiDAR utilizes entangled photons to detect objects with minimal signal loss and reduced susceptibility to interference for precision imaging and mapping, even in the presence of fog, smoke, or underwater.

These developments wouldn't be available if it weren't for the advancement of quantum hardware that allows the these entangled photons to ride along the light stream from modern optical systems.