Building a Quantum-Resistant Transceiver for High-Speed, Secure Wireless Communication
The SMARTY Project is advancing secure communications with the development of a quantum-resistant transceiver designed for short-range, high-speed wireless links. This innovation targets edge computing scenarios where fiber connections are unavailable or impractical, and secure, low-latency data exchange is critical.
Technical Overview:
Led by TUE, the prototype transceiver operates in the W-band (75–110 GHz) and is designed for chip-to-chip and short-range node communication. A J-band (220–330 GHz) version is also under consideration.
Target capabilities include:
- Data rates up to 10 Gbps (W-band)
- Support for OOK, PAM, BPSK, and QPSK modulation
- Wireless link distances of 5–10 meters
- Encryption based on AES-256
- Integration with Smart NICs for hardware-level security
Architecture & Lab Setup:
The current laboratory setup supports unidirectional transmission (uplink) via a W-band wireless path, while the downlink remains on fiber. Core components include:
- UTC Photodiode for generating high-frequency RF signals through optical beating
- Medium Power Amplifier (MPA) and horn antenna for W-band transmission
- Envelope Detector (ED) on the receiver side, followed by baseband signal conversion via a Mach-Zehnder Modulator (MZM)
Although testing is currently conducted with short-range (0.5 m) links using signal generators and oscilloscopes, Longer-range wireless communication (5–10 meters) will be enabled by integrating a Low Noise Amplifier (LNA).
Next phases will involve:
- Full bidirectional wireless link setup
- Transition to SFP/SFP+ transceivers
- Integration into SMARTY’s broader edge AI and secure communication use cases
This transceiver will support high-throughput, low-latency, and quantum-resilient data links, enabling new architectures for secure field-deployable systems.
🔗 For technical documentation and updates: https://www.smarty-project.eu