{"id":{"repo_id":"uiuc","oai_identifier":"oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/127498"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/uiuc/oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/127498","repository":{"repo_id":"uiuc","name":"University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign","base_url":"https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh"},"display":{"title":"Drone and vehicle-based quantum communication and towards practical quantum position verification","abstract":"Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2026-12-01","abstract_html":"Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2026-12-01","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Conrad, Andrew Phillip"],"institution":"University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign","degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Electrical & Computer Engr","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Kwiat, Paul","Chitambar, Eric","Choquette, Kent","Bogdanov, Simeon"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-12-06","date_published":"2024-12-06","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:04Z","subjects":["Quantum Key Distribution (qkd)","Quantum Position Verification (qpv)","Drone","Vehicle"],"languages":["en","eng"],"rights":["Copyright 2024 Andrew Conrad"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127498","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Kwiat, Paul","Chitambar, Eric","Choquette, Kent","Bogdanov, Simeon"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Conrad, Andrew Phillip"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2024-12-06","2024-12"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["text","Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Electrical & Computer Engr"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph.D."]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Quantum Key Distribution (qkd)","Quantum Position Verification (qpv)","Drone","Vehicle"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en","eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2024 Andrew Conrad"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127498"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2026-12-01","The student, Andrew Conrad, accepted the attached license on 2024-12-04 at 16:36.","The student, Andrew Conrad, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2024-12-04 at 16:45.","This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2024-12-06 at 09:28.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #21505 on 2025-03-28 at 14:56:02","Quantum networks offer the ability to interface quantum computers, provide secure communication, and link quantum sensors. While existing fiber-based quantum networks provide these benefits for fixed infrastructure including offices, labs, and homes, there exist a need to provide quantum advantages for platforms ``on-the-go\" such as drones, vehicles, planes, ships, and space-based platforms. However, implementing quantum systems on mobile platforms is challenging since there is limited Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) available. Additionally, environmental disturbances such as platform vibrations, temperature fluctuations, and ambient light further degrade performance of quantum systems. We designed and developed a modular quantum transmitter and receiver which is platform-agnostic, allowing rapid reconfiguration between multiple platforms such as drones and cars. Our system allows free-space quantum communication between moving platforms operating outside of the lab. Specifically, we use our free-space quantum link between mobile platforms to successfully perform a first-of-its-kind demonstration of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), in multiple configurations: drone-to-drone, drone-to-car, and car-to-car. We achieved a Secure Key in the finite-regime for all these link configurations. Moreover, our system is also the first demonstration of a quantum communication link of any kind between a drone-to-car, and car-to-car on any road including operation at 70 mph on a U.S. Interstate Highway. Additionally, we designed a modular system to perform entanglement distribution using mobile platforms and developed a practical Quantum Position Verification (QPV) protocol. Finally, we introduce and analyze a new type of interferometer for swapping indistinguishable particles, called a Particle Swapping Interferometer (PSI), capable of generating two-photon interference and providing an intuitive perspective of non-locality and quantum interpretations."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Drone and vehicle-based quantum communication and towards practical quantum position verification"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Kwiat, Paul","Chitambar, Eric","Choquette, Kent","Bogdanov, Simeon"],"dc:creator":["Conrad, Andrew Phillip"],"dc:date":["2024-12-06","2024-12"],"dc:description":["Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2026-12-01","The student, Andrew Conrad, accepted the attached license on 2024-12-04 at 16:36.","The student, Andrew Conrad, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2024-12-04 at 16:45.","This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2024-12-06 at 09:28.","DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #21505 on 2025-03-28 at 14:56:02","Quantum networks offer the ability to interface quantum computers, provide secure communication, and link quantum sensors. While existing fiber-based quantum networks provide these benefits for fixed infrastructure including offices, labs, and homes, there exist a need to provide quantum advantages for platforms ``on-the-go\" such as drones, vehicles, planes, ships, and space-based platforms. However, implementing quantum systems on mobile platforms is challenging since there is limited Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) available. Additionally, environmental disturbances such as platform vibrations, temperature fluctuations, and ambient light further degrade performance of quantum systems. We designed and developed a modular quantum transmitter and receiver which is platform-agnostic, allowing rapid reconfiguration between multiple platforms such as drones and cars. Our system allows free-space quantum communication between moving platforms operating outside of the lab. Specifically, we use our free-space quantum link between mobile platforms to successfully perform a first-of-its-kind demonstration of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), in multiple configurations: drone-to-drone, drone-to-car, and car-to-car. We achieved a Secure Key in the finite-regime for all these link configurations. Moreover, our system is also the first demonstration of a quantum communication link of any kind between a drone-to-car, and car-to-car on any road including operation at 70 mph on a U.S. Interstate Highway. Additionally, we designed a modular system to perform entanglement distribution using mobile platforms and developed a practical Quantum Position Verification (QPV) protocol. Finally, we introduce and analyze a new type of interferometer for swapping indistinguishable particles, called a Particle Swapping Interferometer (PSI), capable of generating two-photon interference and providing an intuitive perspective of non-locality and quantum interpretations."],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://hdl.handle.net/2142/127498"],"dc:language":["en","eng"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2024 Andrew Conrad"],"dc:subject":["Quantum Key Distribution (qkd)","Quantum Position Verification (qpv)","Drone","Vehicle"],"dc:title":["Drone and vehicle-based quantum communication and towards practical quantum position verification"],"dc:type":["text","Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Electrical & Computer Engr"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."],"thesis:institution_name":["University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:25:04Z"}