Impact of visibility limiting conditions on satellite and high-altitude platform quantum key distribution links

Satellite and aerial platforms are critical in the deployment of global quantum communications networks. Currently, there remain significant challenges including operation during daytime and robustness to visibility limiting conditions. In this work we investigate, through simulation, the impact of visibility limiting conditions on low-Earth orbit CubeSat dimensioned satellites, small satellites and high-altitude platform implementations. Three different operational wavelengths were considered: currently used near-infrared (at 850 nm); next-generation short-wave infrared (at 1550 nm); and a candidate longer wavelength (at 2133 nm). We present channel attenuation and consider quantum key distribution (QKD) system performance parameters. Results indicate that the “best wavelength” for an implementation depends on the minimum visibility rated and the single-photon detector technology utilized. In the cases where tolerated meteorological visibility is short, 1550 nm and 2133 nm wavelengths provide better performance. In cases when the visibility is long, the operational wavelength of 850 nm provides better QKD system performance.