The LaiQa project is proud to be part of the newly established Photonics Quantum Impact Cluster (PQI Cluster), an initiative announced by Qu-PIC project that brings together 11 projects funded under Horizon Europe. The PQI Cluster connects projects selected from two major European initiatives: Quantum Flagship and Photonics21. These projects work across a broad range of technologies in photonics and quantum science, fields that play a key role in strengthening Europe’s technological leadership and innovation capacity. By bringing these projects together, the PQI Cluster aims to promote collaboration, knowledge exchange and joint dissemination of results. This coordinated approach will help increase the overall impact of the participating projects and encourage stronger links between research, industry and innovation communities. As a member of the cluster, LaiQa contributes to this collective effort to advance photonics and quantum technologies in Europe. Stay tuned to learn more about the projects involved in the PQI Cluster and how they are helping shape the future of photonics and quantum innovation in Europe. Learn more about the Photonics Quantum Impact Cluster (PQI Cluster) here.

The LaiQa consortium successfully held its latest project review meeting yesterday, where progress was presented, technical achievements were discussed, and next steps were outlined. During the meeting, partners provided updates across the project’s core work packages, highlighting advancements in polarization-based Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) PIC technologies and the development of key LaiQa building blocks. The discussions also focused on integration strategies, performance validation, and upcoming milestones. The review served as an important checkpoint to align technical directions and ensure continued progress in line with the project’s objectives and timeline. The meeting confirmed the steady advancement of the project and the ongoing commitment to achieving the planned results and next milestones. Stay tuned for more updates as LaiQa progresses toward its next milestones.

Yesterday, the LaiQa consortium successfully held its Interim Review Meeting (Reporting Period 1) online, bringing together all partners and the European Commission reviewers. During the session, we presented the progress achieved so far in developing LaiQa’s polarization-based Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) PIC-based EPPS, highlighting key technical achievements, ongoing research, and our dissemination and communication activities. The discussion also focused on upcoming milestones and how LaiQa’s results will contribute to the broader field of quantum communication. A warm thank you to our project partners for their hard work and dedication, and to the reviewers for their valuable feedback and guidance. With this momentum, we are excited to continue advancing LaiQa’s vision of pushing the boundaries of photonic integration for next-generation quantum technologies.

On June 3–4, 2025, members of the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS)—coordinator of the Horizon Europe Project LaiQa—carried out an experimental campaign at the Aristarchos Optical Ground Station (OGS), located on Helmos Mountain in Greece. The campaign focused on advancing LaiQa’s objectives in the field of quantum communications, with three main goals: Evaluating the coupling efficiency of the 2.3-meter telescope, Performing background sky measurements during both day and night to simulate realistic operational conditions, Conducting polarized single photon transmission through the telescope system. These activities represent a significant step forward in LaiQa’s mission to enable secure and high-performance quantum communication links between Earth and space-based systems. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Manolis Xilouris, Athanasios Marousis, and his team—Alexis and Giannis—from the National Observatory of Athens (NOA) for their invaluable support and collaboration throughout the campaign. Stay tuned for more updates as the LaiQa project continues to push the boundaries of next-generation quantum technologies.

We’re excited to share the LaiQa Project video presentation! LaiQa is a research & innovation initiative dedicated to developing the essential technologies and components needed for long-distance, unconditionally secure quantum communication. By integrating functional Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) components with cutting-edge system methodologies, we aim to pave the way for the future of secure global connectivity. 🎥 Watch the video:

🚀 The LaiQa Project is pushing the boundaries of quantum communication by developing cutting-edge technologies for a global space-based quantum network. Our mission is to enable secure quantum communications over vast distances, shaping the future of cybersecurity and connectivity. 🎥 Watch our technical project presentation: 📢 Stay tuned for more updates!

Last week, researchers from the National Observatory of Athens (NOA) and the PCRL – Photonics Communications Research Laboratory collaborated on a remarkable joint experimental campaign at the stunning Aristarchos Observatory, located at an altitude of 2,340 meters on Mount Helmos in Peloponnese, Greece. 🔬 Supported by the EU-funded LaiQa Project, which uses Helmos OGS as one of its key infrastructure testbeds, this campaign achieved several critical milestones. 🚀 Light at the C-band telecom wavelength was successfully transmitted through the 2.3-meter Aristarchos telescope and precisely coupled into an optical Single Mode Fiber. This accomplishment represents a major leap toward integrating the Aristarchos telescope into classical and quantum communication systems. Additionally, the team evaluated daylight background noise using Single Photon Detectors. Effective noise mitigation techniques were demonstrated, reinforcing the viability of satellite-to-ground Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) communication. ✨ This campaign highlights cutting-edge advancements in optical technology, bringing us closer to innovative and secure communication solutions via QKD and laser-based satellite networks. Congratulations to the entire team for this groundbreaking achievement and their invaluable contributions to the future of quantum communications! 👏✨  

🎬 LaiQa Project Video Teaser is now online! 🎬 Take a glance and stay tuned for more to come!

🚀 Exciting News! LaiQa Project will be participating in the International Conference on Space Optics (ICSO 2024), taking place from 21-25 October in Antibes Juan-les-Pins, France. 🌍 ICSO 2024 is the 15th edition of the largest global gathering of experts in Optical, Optoelectronic, and Photonic Technologies for space applications. More specifically, Dr. Giannis Giannoulis from ICCS | PCRL will give a presentation entitled ‘LAIQA: Shaping Quantum Satellite Communications Beyond EAGLE-1‘. 🗓️ The presentation will take place on Thursday, 24 October, 16:10 | Session Topic 11 / 12 (QKD/QIN I) 🛰️In addition to the talk, there will be a poster presentation on 🗓️Tuesday, 22 October, titled “Feasibility Analysis and Deployment Strategies for Satellite-to-Fiber Prepare & Measure and Entanglement-Based QKD Systems,” highlighting LaiQa’s hardware components specification and architectural design. We are looking forward to sharing our advancements and contributing to this important discussion in the field of space optics! 👉 Find out more here.