Quantum Entanglement Uplink Via Satellite - A Feasible New Pathway for the Quantum Internet

Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (Australia) and collaborators have published a study in Physical Review Research showing that performing photonic Bell-measurements in space where entangled photon pairs are generated on the ground and then swapped aboard a satellite is more feasible than previously believed.

Until now, most quantum-satellite schemes focused on the “downlink” scenario: generating entangled pairs in space and sending them down to Earth. The “uplink” case from ground to satellite was widely considered impractical. The team has modelled the full chain of physical effects (atmospheric attenuation, beam divergence, stray photons, mode mismatch) and found that the channel efficiency and achievable fidelity of entangled pairs are promising.

The results open up new possibilities for global quantum networks, by enabling entanglement distribution via satellites in uplink mode, potentially reducing complexity in satellite payloads and giving greater flexibility in network architecture. The authors say their findings “motivate future research toward large-scale satellite-based uplink entanglement distribution”.

Source:

S. Srikara, H. Leone, A. S. Solnstev & S. J. Devitt, “Quantum entanglement distribution via uplink satellite channels”, Physical Review Research, Vol. 7, 043041 (14 October 2025). DOI: 10.1103/v3p1-kz4h.