Modeling and analysis of quantum communication channel in airborne platforms with boundary layer effects

Abstract The establishment of secure global communication links is fundamentally dependent on the support of airborne platforms. However, the transmission of quantum signals from these platforms faces significant challenges related to boundary layer (BL) effects. This article presents an improved channel loss calculation model that effectively incorporates these BL effects in airborne environment. The model takes into account detailed variations in beam width, scintillation index, and transmission efficiency within the airborne environment. The results indicate that BL effects have an impact on the beam width and scintillation index, highlighting the need to maximize the receiver aperture within payload capacity constraints. In addition, the analysis shows that the supersonic BL results in greater losses and higher error rates compared to the transonic BL. Furthermore, atmospheric turbulence is identified as the primary factor that reduces transmission efficiency when transmitting over long distances in the airborne environment.