Technology
QNu Labs shows 5.56-km free-space quantum link
The Hindu BusinessLine··4 Oct
QNu Labs demonstrated a 5.56-km free-space Quantum Key Distribution link with BISAG-N and IIT Gandhinagar. Quantum keys moved through air using a pointing, acquisition and tracking system. Armos QKD hardware ran with BISAG-N's Vedic Kavach software. Under the National Quantum Mission, QNu deployed a 1,000-km fibre overlay in April 2026. It raised Rs 200 crore.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Free-space links matter where dedicated fibre is hard to lay, including longer-distance paths.
- The design keeps a software crypto layer if the physical quantum channel drops briefly.
- QNu said a single hardware unit can carry keys about 150-200 km on fibre before a trusted node handoff.
What's Happening
- QNu Labs reported its first 5.56-km free-space QKD demonstration with BISAG-N and IIT Gandhinagar.
- Photons travelled through the atmosphere between two aligned endpoints, the company said.
- The Series A1 round of Rs 200 crore was led by the National Quantum Mission and Speciale Invest.
How this sits beside fibre QKD
- In April 2026 QNu deployed a live 1,000-km inter-city quantum-secure network on telecom fibre.
- That overlay uses multiple trusted nodes to extend reach beyond a single hardware hop.
- Free-space work is framed as a step toward possible satellite-based quantum links.
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