en.Wedoany.com Reported - The PIQCS (Photonic Integrated Quantum Cryptography Systems) project has recently been launched, led by Italian quantum hardware manufacturer ThinkQuantum S.r.l., a subsidiary of aerospace company Officina Stellare S.p.A. The project, conducted in collaboration with the University of Padua, spans five years and has received €4.3 million in funding from the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR) through the Italian Applied Science Fund (FISA). Hardware engineer Marco Avesani is coordinating the R&D process, aiming to transfer macroscopic discrete quantum communication subsystems onto compact, mass-producible photonic integrated chips, enabling quantum key distribution to be deployed in standard network nodes rather than being confined to controlled laboratory environments.
PIQCS focuses on the miniaturization of bulk optical devices, which traditionally rely on expensive discrete lasers, modulators, and multi-port waveplates housed in rack-mounted chassis. The project leverages integrated photonics to directly etch active quantum optics onto wafer substrates, integrating quantum key distribution (QKD) transmitters and quantum random number generation (QRNG) hardware cores into a single chip architecture. This design simplifies manufacturing processes, enhances thermal and phase stability, and significantly reduces power consumption. The resulting compact, high-performance hardware modules can be embedded into standard PCIe cards or miniaturized telecom blades, facilitating deployment in existing routing equipment, commercial data center racks, and edge supercomputing centers.
The project's progress aligns with the overall regulatory direction of the European Union, particularly the technology transfer goals outlined in the European Chips Act and the pan-European secure communication mission EuroQCI (European Quantum Communication Infrastructure). PIQCS aims to establish a full-process domestic anti-quantum microelectronics system—from design and testing to verification—to address technical security risks posed by post-quantum decryption while ensuring a closed-loop regional semiconductor manufacturing. The compact form factor developed will also meet the stringent structural and mechanical requirements for aerospace deployment, offering a viable path for adopting the same chip topology in both terrestrial fiber networks and laser-based low Earth orbit satellite constellations.
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