Quantuse Technology https://tech.quantuse.com/ Technologies that change the world! Tue, 08 Nov 2022 09:26:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.4 211498071 You can now run a bath with just a voice command thanks to Kohler. https://tech.quantuse.com/2022/11/08/you-can-now-run-a-bath-with-just-a-voice-command-thanks-to-kohler/ https://tech.quantuse.com/2022/11/08/you-can-now-run-a-bath-with-just-a-voice-command-thanks-to-kohler/#respond Tue, 08 Nov 2022 07:53:09 +0000 https://tech.quantuse.com/?p=53 Finally available, Kohler’s PerfectFill technology will provide solace to stressed-out parents everywhere. The business said...

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Kohler’s PerfectFill technology can run your bath for you.
 Image: Kohler

Finally available, Kohler’s PerfectFill technology will provide solace to stressed-out parents everywhere. The business said this week that its smart bath technology, which enables users to fill a bathtub with a straightforward voice command, will be made available at CES 2022. So, if you want to start the kids’ bath while you’re downstairs preparing dinner, just ask Alexa or Google to do it.

The PerfectFill system draws the bath to the desired temperature and depth using a digital valve and drain kit. Therefore, you won’t have to worry about junior getting burned when they jump in the bath or about flooding the bathroom because you forgot the water was on.

The Kohler Konnect app and voice commands may be used to regulate bath time, and there is the ability to programme up to 10 distinct bath times so that everyone in the house can have their own preferences (even Fido).

With a voice or smartphone command, PerfectFill allows you to drain the bathtub in addition to filling it.

You’ll pay a price for all this control, though. A Kohler faucet and matching Kohler bath are not included in the PerfectFill’s starting price of $2,700. Additionally, it requires expert installation. In 2022, PerfectFill will be available for purchase.

The Stillness Bath is an immersive smart bathtub that starts at $8,000.
 Image: Kohler

If you still feel like you need more technology for your bathtime, Kholer’s Stillness Bath, which was hinted at at CES last year, will be sold in 2022.

The PerfectFill technology is used in a smart bathtub that, according to Kohler, mixes water, light, fog, and aroma to produce a “at-home spa-like experience” for a starting price of $8,000.

If a $8,000 smart spa bath is still insufficient for you, you can upgrade to the Infinity Experience model, which adds the option to have the water flow over the edges and into a hinoki wood foundation, enhancing your relaxing experience with that trickling waterfall sound.

The Kohler Konnect app controls the entire system, and the entry-level standalone bath, priced at $8,000, will be offered in Q1 2022. The prices of the additional models will be revealed in Q3.

Kohler is also introducing a kitchen faucet that is hanging from the ceiling and operated by a waterproof, battery-powered Bluetooth puck for even more hands-free water control. The puck-shaped remote control may be used to control the Purist Suspend to turn the faucet on and off and change the temperature.

Beyond being a statement piece, the fundamental idea behind this is to clear off counter clutter. When you use Suspend, your kitchen faucet won’t get in the way when you wash dishes (was it ever?). The faucet rotates 180 degrees and hangs from the ceiling.

Kohler’s smart water monitor, H2Wise powered by Phyn, was also unveiled at CES 2021 and will be available this year. Beginning in January, prices for the H2Wise and H2Wise Plus (a professionally installed version) will be $400 and $667, respectively.

The H2Wise is a smart water monitor that can be installed by a homeowner. A pro-install version adds the ability to shut off the water remotely.
 Image: Kohler



Installed at the main water line, the H2Wise Plus can be configured to turn off water via an app if a leak is found. A homeowner can put the H2Wise under a sink. One of the two units needs a 110v or 220v power source.

Both of these devices allow you keep track of how much water is being used at all of your home’s fixtures, alert you to water leaks, and monitor water use. Pressure sensing is used in a pre-freeze warning to alert you before a pipe freezes.

The Kohler Konnect app may be used to control the H2Wise monitor, and it can be coupled with either the Alexa or Google speech assistants.

The Robern IQ Digital Lock Box is an app-controlled mini safe designed for bathroom cabinets.
 Image: Kohler

The Robern IQ Digital Lock Box, a smart lock box that fits in a bathroom vanity cabinet for storing medications and personal goods, is one of the other smart gadgets Kohler unveiled at CES 2022. It can be altered to fit in any vanity and was made to fit Robern cabinets.

The $449 Digital Lock Box features a touchpad panel, a password-protected app (available for iOS and Android), entry log viewing, and alarms for when the box is accessed. Additionally, users can add daily medicine reminders and set a schedule.

Kohler’s new touchless faucets for the bathroom are controlled with a wave of the hand.
 Image: Kohler



Another company entering the bathroom market is Kohler, which is introducing a line of touchless residential bathroom faucets with prices starting at $199. Temperature is controlled via a twist top, and after two minutes the flow is stopped off automatically. The battery-operated faucet also includes a vacation mode, making installation simpler.

The Kohler Power Reserve, a modular home energy storage device, works with solar power systems to store solar energy no matter the time of day, weather, or grid condition. Users are able to set the storage system to backup, self-supply, time of use, or custom using the Kohler Power Reserve mobile app to monitor and control the system. A 10kWh system costs $13,325 as of right now.

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How solar farms in space might beam electricity to Earth? https://tech.quantuse.com/2022/11/04/how-solar-farms-in-space-might-beam-electricity-to-earth/ https://tech.quantuse.com/2022/11/04/how-solar-farms-in-space-might-beam-electricity-to-earth/#respond Fri, 04 Nov 2022 08:07:18 +0000 https://tech.quantuse.com/?p=45 A scheme to gather solar energy from space and use microwaves to broadcast it to...

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A scheme to gather solar energy from space and use microwaves to broadcast it to Earth seems too good to be true.
But according to Martin Soltau, co-chairman of the Space Energy Initiative (SEI), a partnership of business and academia, it might occur as soon as 2035.
A constellation of extremely large satellites will be launched into a high Earth orbit as part of the Cassiopeia project, which is being worked on by SEI.
The satellites would capture solar energy once they were in place and send it back to Earth.
According to him, the potential is practically limitless.

According to him, in 2050, it “could theoretically supply all of the world’s energy.”
“The Sun has a huge energy reserve, and there is enough space in orbit for satellites powered by solar energy. More energy is received annually in a small area of geostationary Earth orbit than is anticipated to be used by all of humanity in 2050 “Says Mr. Soltau.

Following an engineering study undertaken by firm Frazer-Nash that determined the technology was practicable, the UK government approved £3 million in financing for space-based solar power (SBSP) projects earlier this year.
SEI wants to take home a sizable portion of that cash.
The company’s satellites would be built from millions of tiny, identical modules produced in factories on Earth, assembled in space by self-sufficient robots, and maintained by such robots.
The satellites would transform the solar energy they receive into high frequency radio waves and send those waves to a rectifying antenna on Earth, where the radio waves would be transformed into electricity.

When it comes to power output, each satellite is comparable to a nuclear power plant at roughly 2GW per satellite.
Sunlight is filtered by the atmosphere here on Earth, but it is unaltered in space because it comes from the sun straight.
Therefore, a solar panel mounted in space may gather much more energy than an equivalently sized one on Earth.
Other places are developing similar projects.

In the US, for instance, the Space Solar Power Incremental Demonstrations and Research project of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is focusing on some of the crucial technologies required for such a system (SSPIDR).
In addition to lowering the significant temperature changes on spacecraft components, they include developing designs for deployable structures, increasing solar cell efficiency, solar-to-radio frequency conversion, and beam shaping.
The team successfully tested new parts for a so-called sandwich tile, which is used to transform solar energy into radio waves, in the latter part of last year.
Although the microwave beams may seem dangerous, they have been tested on Earth and shown to be efficient and safe for both people and wildlife.

According to Mr. Soltau, the beam is microwave-based, making it similar to the constant wi-fi we use. It also has a modest intensity—roughly one-fourth that of the noon Sun.
“This is just approximately 240W per square metre, compared to the 1,000W per square metre you would receive if you were in the desert on the equator. In that sense, it is safe by nature.”

There are still possible issues, despite the fact that many of the main obstacles have already been overcome.
Dr. Jovana Radulovic, a thermodynamics lecturer at the University of Portsmouth who specialises in renewable energy systems, says, “My personal perspective on this is that we want to think the technology is there, but it’s not yet ready for us to begin on a project of this magnitude.”
She raises the argument that deploying several solar panels into space would be costly and produce a lot of carbon dioxide considering that any project would require hundreds of launches.

But there is reason to be upbeat. According to a University of Strathclyde environmental estimate of the Cassiopeia project, the whole carbon footprint, including launch, might be as little as half that of terrestrial solar, at roughly 24g of CO2 per kilowatt-hour.

Space-based solar farms could potentially supply all the world’s energy, says Martin Soltau



According to Mr. Soltau, the economic case is steadily getting better.
According to him, the cost of launch has decreased by 90% and is still decreasing, which has completely changed the economics.
“Second, there have been some significant improvements in the architecture of solar-powered satellites, resulting in a much more modular construction that increases durability and lowers production costs. Thirdly, robots and autonomous systems have made significant strides.”

SEI is seeking to entice private investment for some of the technologies linked with the UK government’s meagre support. Dr. Radulovic cautions that the suggested timescale might be too ambitious.
There is, she asserts, “no reason why we couldn’t have the system up and running as smaller pilot projects in the near future,” with sufficient investment and concentrated work.
However, a large-scale project — we’re talking about kilometres of solar arrays — would require much more time.

The Space Energy Initiative has designed satellites to collect solar energy in space

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Apple iphone 15: New leaks and updates https://tech.quantuse.com/2022/11/04/apple-iphone-15-new-leaks-and-updates/ https://tech.quantuse.com/2022/11/04/apple-iphone-15-new-leaks-and-updates/#respond Fri, 04 Nov 2022 06:52:09 +0000 https://tech.quantuse.com/?p=40 It represents a significant blow for Apple’s modem division as the much-anticipated in-house 5G modem...

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It represents a significant blow for Apple’s modem division as the much-anticipated in-house 5G modem will no longer launch with the release of the iPhone 15 series in 2023. The information became public as a result of Qualcomm, an Apple modem supplier, making comments in its latest earnings release.

According to Qualcomm, which Bloomberg reported, the “vast bulk” of modem chips for Apple’s iPhone 15 line will continue to be supplied by Qualcomm to Apple in 2023. Given Apple’s ambitious path for its own 5G modems, the company claimed it had previously intended to provide just 20% of iPhone 5G modems by this point.

Bloomberg reports that Apple has experienced substantial difficulties, which have contributed to the delay, despite working on the technology since 2020. It stated that prototypes have been “overheating over the past year” in July.

Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known industry analyst, went even farther, speculating that Apple could have to rely on Qualcomm going forward because modem research “may have failed.” Jeff Pu, an analyst with Haitong International Securities, concurred last month when he said that Apple’s modem might miss the 2023 and 2024 debuts of the iPhone.

However, this is the first time we’ve heard from an Apple partner, and Qualcomm’s disclosure gives these dismal predictions a lot more credibility. When Apple paid $1 billion in 2019 to acquire Intel’s 5G modem division, such a delay would have appeared unimaginable. Apple used smartphone modems from Intel that were already available in the iPhone 11 line.

Therefore, it is tricky to understand why the project has proven to be so difficult. If I had to guess, I would say that since Apple is renowned for its meticulous component integration, this is the area where I believe issues have developed.

On the other hand, Qualcomm’s upcoming 5G modems are very remarkable, and early leaks indicate that Apple’s plans for the iPhone 15 still have a lot to recommend them. The plan includes updated basic models and a brand-new iPhone 15 Ultra with a titanium body and twin front cameras. However, USB-C’s future is far from assured.

After the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus’ lacklustre sales, Apple appears determined to make a splash in 2023.

What do you think about the upcoming iPhone 15? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

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5 Technologies That Will Change The Future  https://tech.quantuse.com/2022/10/17/technologies-that-will-change-the-future/ https://tech.quantuse.com/2022/10/17/technologies-that-will-change-the-future/#respond Mon, 17 Oct 2022 10:54:47 +0000 https://tech.quantuse.com/?p=30 These five technologies, in our opinion, will have the biggest effects on our civilization and...

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These five technologies, in our opinion, will have the biggest effects on our civilization and the entire human species.


Artificial Intelligence

A machine’s capacity to learn and act intelligently is referred to as artificial intelligence, or AI, and machine learning. This means that robots are able to make decisions, perform tasks, and even predict the future based on what they learn from data.
You might be surprised to realise how much more of a part AI and machine learning already play in daily life. Every Google search you conduct, Alexa, Siri, Amazon’s product recommendations, Netflix and Spotify’s tailored recommendations, security checks for unauthorised credit card payments, dating applications, fitness trackers… Each is controlled by AI.

AI will change practically all facets of contemporary life. According to Stephen Hawking, “The biggest event in human history would be the success of developing AI.” “Unfortunately, it might also be the last, unless we find how to avoid the risks,” said Hawking in response.

For society and human life as we know it, there are potentially enormous concerns, especially in light of the fact that certain nations are vying with one another to develop autonomous weapons with AI capabilities. Many more technologies are based on the foundation of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. We wouldn’t have made the incredible strides in the Internet of Things, virtual reality, chatbots, facial recognition, robotics, automation, or self-driving cars, to mention a few, without AI, for example.

AI will also change how human occupations are done. Automation powered by AI will have a big influence and could result in the loss of many employment. But I don’t subscribe to the idea that robots will take over all human occupations in a gloomy future; instead, I think AI will improve our lives at work. Human work will be improved by AI, and new jobs will appear to take their place.

Additionally, I think that our distinctively human qualities, such as creativity, empathy, and critical thinking, will become even more valued and precious in the workplaces of the future as machines grow more intelligent and capable of performing more human duties.

Human-Computer Interfaces

Wearable technology and human-computer interfaces are created to enhance human performance physically and possibly mentally and to help us live longer, healthier lives. Fitness tracker bands and smartwatches are two of the most widely used wearables on the market right now. These compact, simple-to-wear gadgets usually monitor our activities and give us information about how to live healthier, better, and more productive lives.

The term “wearable” refers to a variety of devices that are not necessarily worn on the body or on the wrist, such as smart running shoes that can analyse your stride and performance, robotic prosthetics, and robotic wearable technology used in industrial settings.

The sheer variety of wearables will increase as technology becomes smaller and better, and new, smaller, and smarter goods will replace the wearables we are accustomed to today. For instance, smart contact lenses are anticipated to replace the smart spectacles that are already available. After then, smart eye implants are anticipated to take the role of smart contact lenses.

Many people are of the opinion that technological advancements like these may eventually lead to the creation of really augmented humans, transhumans, or “humans 2.0,” whose bodies have been given a sports car makeover in order to attain improved physical and mental performance. This would revolutionise the medical field and ultimately, perhaps even put our conception of what it is to be human in jeopardy.

On a societal level, there may be a danger of an increase in the gap between the Haves and the Have Nots. Technology holds out the possibility of extending our lives and making them healthier, possibly even giving us the ability to live forever, but most likely only for those who can afford it. Imagine a world where the wealthy are essentially immortal superhumans, while the rest of the population is average and poor. There is also a more general ethical debate over whether we should desire to live extraordinarily long lives in light of the enormous strain such a lifestyle would place on our earth.

Extended Reality (XR)

Extended reality, or XR for short, refers to the use of technology to produce more immersive digital experiences. It includes virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality.

In actuality, XR is being utilised to improve workplace learning, increase customer service, let customers experience products before they buy, and other organisational procedures.

People can experience the world in thrilling and brand-new ways thanks to XR technologies. The world is already using XR technology in very practical ways, and it will probably fundamentally alter how we use technology. In fact, over $3 billion was made globally in 2018 through mobile-based AR experiences like the Pokemon Go app. XR is also the user interface for the metaverse, a concept for a virtual environment where we can assume any identity while playing games, interacting with others, attending events, or doing anything else akin to what is depicted in the movie “Ready Player One.”

Given that XR headsets can be expensive, large, and cumbersome, accessibility and availability are apparent challenges to be overcome. But as the technology becomes more accessible, economical, and pleasurable to use, the likelihood that it will be widely adopted will only rise. The privacy issues and potential psychological and physical effects of highly immersive technologies will be the main hurdles.

3D Printing

Additive manufacturing, sometimes referred to as 3D printing, is the process of producing a 3D item layer by layer from a digital file. While gene editing and artificial intelligence may seem like higher-tech advancements, 3D printing has the potential to drastically change the manufacturing and other industries.

Future manufacturers could easily produce replacement components for equipment on-site using 3D printing. The use of 3D printers could replace entire assembly lines. We could print food, weapons, and even human tissue for organ transplants.

Although 3D printing technology offers numerous advantages, there are also drawbacks, difficulties, and problems that must be faced. We must take into account the environmental impact of the printers themselves, even though it has the potential to lessen the environmental impact of manufacturing by using fewer resources overall.

The ability of 3D printing to easily and cheaply generate fake licence items creates issues for intellectual property owners as well. Another issue is the ease with which weapons can be 3D manufactured. The possibility of mass product customisation offered by 3D printing is one aspect of it that I find really interesting. Products and Designs may now be altered to accommodate special requests for orders thanks to 3D printing, and this includes everything from customised sneakers to food that is tailored to each person’s nutritional requirements.

Gene Technology

Biology’s interdisciplinary discipline of genomics focuses on deciphering and modifying the DNA and genomes of living things. A group of technologies known as gene editing makes it possible to use genetic engineering to modify the DNA and genetic makeup of living things.

As a result of biotechnology’s advancements, it is now possible to change a cell’s DNA, which will affect the features that its progeny will inherit. In plants, this might have an impact on the number of leaves or the colour, but in people, it might have an impact on things like height, eye colour, or the propensity to get sick. This creates an almost infinite number of opportunities because it implies that any inherited trait in a living thing might possibly be altered.

Healthcare is where gene editing is being used extensively nowadays. Correcting DNA abnormalities, which can result in major illnesses like cancer or heart disease, is one of the most fascinating ongoing initiatives. But when it comes to DNA editing and manipulation, there are a tonne of ethical and legal issues as well as “what if” scenarios that need to be addressed. Since its long-term effects are unknown, human genome editing is now prohibited in many nations, including most of Europe.

When anything has the potential to change society as much as genomics, it’s easy to get carried away with ideas of how it could be possible to eradicate cancer or even forever extend human life. Such significant advancements are most likely still decades away, assuming they are even conceivable. In the short run, it is probably more productive to concentrate on solving smaller issues that will have an immediate influence on the real world.

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IDQ QKD Systems Review https://tech.quantuse.com/2022/10/17/idq-qkd-systems-review/ https://tech.quantuse.com/2022/10/17/idq-qkd-systems-review/#respond Mon, 17 Oct 2022 05:51:40 +0000 https://tech.quantuse.com/?p=5 IDQ is one of the top players in the quantum technology market. ID Quantique has...

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IDQ is one of the top players in the quantum technology market. ID Quantique has introduced its latest Quantum Key Distribution systems which are reviewed in this article.

The keys generated by QRNG can be safely distributed to various locations using a mechanism called quantum key distribution (QKD). The technique enables companies to achieve long-term confidentiality and integrity while maximising trust by providing confirmed secrecy of encryption keys.

To exchange cryptographic keys over fibre optic networks with provable security, QKD uses the fundamental law of quantum physics that observation causes perturbation. An eavesdropper intercepting keys transmitted on the QKD quantum channel will necessarily translate into a perturbation that can be detected by the sender and recipient.

Using QKD now will secure high-value data in a post-quantum computing environment, ensuring that data with a long shelf life is safeguarded against future attacks, and provide instant security to data in the face of today’s brute force attacks.

ID Quantique has launched five Quantum Key Distribution products for designed for enterprise, government, and telecom industry to provide their best solutions for ultimate quantum-safe security. These devices are although futuristice, they are easily integrable with existing encryption solutions.

XG Series

The XG Series satisfies all requirements for a simple installation in any telco infrastructure and data centre. Its small 19″ rackmount 1U dimension provides the highest level of QKD technology integration currently offered on the market. High availability operation is made possible by hot-swappable batteries, cooling fans, and power supplies.

The XG Series is integrated into the IDQ QKD management and monitoring system and has been created from the ground up to require little onsite site support.

It can interface and communicate with the majority of the main encryptor vendors, whose encryption appliances (OSI Layer 1/2/3 and MPLS) have a QKD-ready interface. A common optical fibre is used for quantum communication, making integration simple and lowering total cost of ownership. With regard to the ITU’s guideline for dense wavelength division multiplexing, all optical channels are compatible (DWDM).

The Extensive Network and Key Management software suite from IDQ, which serves as the management and monitoring foundation for QKD, is compatible with the XG Series. To enable all significant QKD deployments, this framework combines IDQ’s Quantum Management System (QNET QMS) with existing Software-Defined Network (SDN) QKD ETSI standards. It guarantees a smooth integration with current infrastructure.

The most advanced QKD Network Management

Even in the most complicated situations, the QMS gives you an unmatched ability to maintain a thorough awareness of your QKD network functioning. The programme provides a monitoring dashboard to help you make sure the network is still functioning properly as well as an understandable logical or geographical topology network view to facilitate configuration modifications.

Additionally, IDQ’s QKD Simulator offers you the singular capacity to emulate the most complex QKD networks. This makes sure that installations and maintenance processes run well, saving your network operations team time.

IDQ’s Quantum Management System (QMS)
IDQ’s QKD Network Simulator

Cerberis XG

The Cerberis XG is IDQ’s 4th generation of QKD systems. Its standard key transmission rate and medium range interconnection is well-suited to link core nodes to edge nodes (end-user nodes), especially in enterprise, government, and telco production environments. It is cabale of working in complex network topologies including ring, hub and spoke, meshed and star.

This QKD system is suitable for standard key transmission rates of 2 kb/s and short and medium range interconnections up to 90 km. This is integrable in standard 19′ 1U rackspace.

Max length of quantum channel60 km, 80 km, 90km (12dB, 16dB, 18dB)
Secret key rate2kb/s (@ 12dB)
ProtocolCOW
Key Generation SourceIDQ QRNG Chip
Quantum Channel1 dedicated fiber
Service Channel1 Tx/Rx DWDM channel
Optical engineIntrinsically polarization Independent
Key ProcessingHigh speed hardware based
Key security parameter4x 10^-9
Pulse repetition rate1.25 GHz

Clavis XG QKD System

Quantum Key Distribution for production environments requiring high key transmission rate or extended range interconnection. The Clavis XG is the latest addition to IDQ’s 4th generation of QKD products and expands the XG Series with higher key throughput and extended distance range.

This QKD system is suitable for high key transmission rates of 100 kb/s and long range interconnections up to 150 km. This is integrable in standard 19′ 1U rackspace.

Max length of quantum channel120 km, 150 km (24dB, 30dB)
Secret key rate100 kb/s (@ 10dB)
ProtocolBB84 with decoy state
Key Generation SourceIDQ QRNG Chip
Quantum Channel1 dedicated fiber
Service Channel1 Tx/Rx DWDM channel
Optical engineIntrinsically polarization Independent
Key ProcessingHigh speed hardware based
Key security parameter4x 10^-9
Pulse repetition rate1 GHz

XGR Series – QKD Platform

ID Quantique created the XGR Series Quantum Key Distribution Platform as a flexible research tool for academia and technology evaluation labs. Because of this, the user can test out various parameter setups and settings in both automated and manual modes.

Secure key exchange is achievable via fibres with a maximum loss of 12 dB to 18 dB (often up to 90 kilometres) or 24 dB (typically up to 150 kilometres) for a Cerberis XGR pair and over a single core using WDM. The optical platform has been thoroughly examined and characterised in scholarly literature.

The Key Management System (KMS), which controls key requests and key transfers between QKD optical systems and external encryptors, is also a feature of the XGR Series. Key distribution to encryptors or any other key consumer is carried out through the secure QKD ETSI REST API or through private interfaces created in collaboration with significant suppliers.

Complete key distillation and automated hardware operation are implemented via a full software suite. Before the QKD post processing is utilised, the filtered Keys can be streamed out via the XGR Series’ IDQ4P protocol, a proprietary communication protocol used for key transmission and administration (esp. the error correction). On Bob’s side, the keys correlate to the detection values, and on Alice’s side, they do the same for the Qbits that were sent for that particular detections. The user can evaluate the QBER of the system by comparing the two streams using the filtered Keys.

The XGR Series is ID Quantique’s 4th generation of QKD and is an extension of the XG Series (for production environments) which aims to meet the needs of academia, research institutes and innovation labs.

The XGR Series’ platform comprises two stations: the transmitter unit, (Cerberis or Clavis) XGR-A (ALICE) and the receiver unit, (Cerberis or Clavis) XGR-B (BOB). The quantum channel, which is utilised for key transmission, connects the XGR-A and XGR-B units. A Service Channel is also utilised for processing and synchronisation between the two units. Both channels are constructed from optical fibre strands and are joined to the devices via SFP transceivers, with the quantum channel also having a single UPC connector. With SFP transceivers that enable bidirectional transmissions, the service channel can also be multiplexed with other data channels and shrunk to a single fibre strand.

The Coherent One-Way (COW) protocol, which IDQ has patented, is used by the Cerberis XGR. A laser inside the XGR-A transmitter produces a CW beam of light. The intensity of the beam is then modified to produce coherent optical pulses with bit patterns that correspond to zeros and ones. After then, the pulses are attenuated to single photon levels. These pulses are sent via the quantum channel from the transmitter, XGR-A, to the receiver, XGR-B, where they are picked up and detected. Some of the pulses in the receiver go through the monitoring interferometer and arrive at the detector X-basis, where they produce the key. Other pulses travel to the detector Z-axis, where they produce the key. The X-basis are used to monitor eavesdropping. The major differences with the BB84 scheme are that the COW protocol does not use an interferometer on Alice’s side, does not apply phase modulation and requires only one detector for the X-basis.

COW/BB84 Scheme. Image Credit IDQ

The BB84 optical system is used by Clavis XGR. The XGR-A transmitter has a pulsed laser within. The beam is then subjected to intensity and phase modulation, resulting in optical pulses that have bit patterns that correspond to zeros and ones. After then, the pulses are attenuated to single photon levels. These pulses are sent via the quantum channel from the transmitter, XGR-A, to the receiver, XGR-B, where they are picked up and detected. For intensity modulation and phase modulation, bits 0 and 1 are respectively on the detector Z-basis and X-basis. Both sets of bases are used to gather information for eavesdropping monitoring.

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