Welcome to SCTE Benelux.

Abstracts

Optical Satellite Communications – An overview of trade-offs, challenges & opportunities

C.W. Korevaar, Communications System Engineer, TNO & TUe

In recent years, free space optical laser satellite communications has attracted more and more interest. This is thanks to its unique benefits, including the vast amount of available bandwidth in the THz regime of the EM spectrum, license-free operation and low-power consumption. Use cases include direct-to-earth communications (e.g., offloading data from earth observation satellites), optical feeder links (for very high throughput telecommunication satellites), deep space communications (for moon and beyond) and ultra-secure quantum communications (for generating encryption keys). We will present how optical satellite communications compares to RF communications, dive into its challenges and opportunities. Moreover, we will show how The Netherlands is stepping up in the development of terminals for ultra-high throughput satellites, optical ground stations, airborne terminals and nano satellites. Ultimately, with this presentation we hope to share an overview and deep dive into this exciting field! 

Quantum Safe Communications – From labs to field

Dr. Simon Rommel, Eindhoven University of Technology

Quantum key distribution (QKD) and post-quantum cryptography (PQC) are the first security technologies that allow secure communications even against the threat posed by quantum computers. While the former bases its security on quantum physics alone, the latter assumes mathematical problems not solvable by a quantum computer as the security basis for its cryptographic operations. This talk discusses the need for QKD and PQC, their current state and path towards integration in communication networks. It further introduces the Eindhoven Testbed for Quantum Safe Communications which deploys QKD in a field-realistic setting and combines it with PQC to investigate real-world applicable solution for quantum safe communications.

Speakers

C.W. Korevaar, Communications System Engineer, TNO & TUe

Wim Korevaar works at the Dutch applied research institute TNO as a telecommunication system engineer and technical lead for the laser satellite communications program. His interests include end-to-end system analysis and modem developments for various use cases, including feeder links, direct-to-earth terminals and deep space applications. Besides his work at TNO, he also works for one day a week at the Technical University of Eindhoven. He is passionate to work with students, colleagues and companies on ground-breaking ideas for the next generation of optical satellite communication systems and to foster fruitful collaborations between academia, applied research institutes and the industry.

Dr. Simon Rommel, Eindhoven University of Technology

Simon Rommel holds a BSc from University of Stuttgart, Germany, and obtained a MSc from Aston University, Birmingham, U.K. and Scuola Superiore Sant-Anna, Pisa, Italy in 2014, and a PhD degree in 2017 from Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark with research focused on photonic-wireless convergence and millimeter-wave radio-over-fiber links, including a research stay at National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan. Since 2017, he is with Eindhoven University of Technology, currently as an Assistant Professor, continuing his work on photonic and 5G/6G radio frequency technologies as well as quantum communications.