QUICK³-Mission: Quantum Satellite with Jena Expertise Launches into Space

Flexibility and Innovation

The Institute of Applied Physics (IAP) at Friedrich Schiller University Jena was involved early in the development and integration of key components. Prof. Tobias Vogl, former head of the Integrated Quantum Systems group at IAP, emphasizes:

»At IAP, the quantum light source was developed and integrated, and the optical part of the payload (except for the laser) was built and tested. These efforts were initiated by the group led by Falk Eilenberger and continued by the research group I established there.«

This technology was developed and thoroughly tested at the Beutenberg campus in Jena – a milestone that was recognized when Prof. Vogl received the Young Scientist Award from Beutenberg Campus e.V.

Projects like QUICK³ are most successful when they bring in expertise from many researchers: together with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the satellite was also significantly developed by scientists from the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz Institute for High Frequency Technology (FBH), and TU Berlin (TUB), in collaboration with international partners at the Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies (CNR-IFN) in Italy and the National University of Singapore (NUS).

QUICK³ Nanosatellite Uses Single-Photon Source Instead of Laser Beams

“For this mission, we are testing single-photon technology in a nanosatellite for the first time,” says Tobias Vogl, Professor of Quantum Communication System Engineering and project leader. “Currently, there’s no comparable project worldwide. Other satellites are either significantly heavier – and thus more expensive – or rely on laser-based systems, which drastically reduce data rates. Transmission speed is a major advantage of our system, as satellites have only a few minutes of line-of-sight contact with ground stations per orbit.”

Probabilities in Zero Gravity

The mission’s second goal is to test the Born rule interpretation of the wave function under microgravity conditions. This principle describes the probability of finding a quantum particle in a specific location during a measurement – a core concept in quantum mechanics. Whether this rule still holds unconditionally in space has not yet been experimentally verified.

Additional Information

• The QUICK³ mission is an international research project involving researchers from Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Humboldt University of Berlin, Technical University of Berlin, the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz Institute for High Frequency Technology, the Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies in Italy, and the National University of Singapore.
• The quantum light source was built by teams from TUM and the University of Jena and integrated with an optical chip from CNR-IFN in Italy. FBH developed a laser system to excite the quantum light source, controlled by electronics from NUS. TUB was responsible for experiment control in space and the interfaces between the payload and the satellite.
• Since July 2023, Tobias Vogl has been Professor of Quantum Communication System Engineering at the TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology.
• The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.