Airborne Quantum Key Distribution with Boundary Layer Effects and Mach Number

This paper presents a performance evaluation of BB84 and SARG04 quantum key distribution (QKD) proto-cols in high-speed air-to-air communication scenarios using co-directional and anti-directional flight models. By integrating both classical and quantum models with QuTiP for simulating quantum states and noise channels, we analyze secure key rates and quantum bit error rates (QBER) under varying Mach numbers, azimuth angles, and boundary layer effects. Our results indicate that co-directional flights experience lower QBER and higher transmission efficiency compared to anti-directional flights due to reduced turbulence intensity. However, boundary layer-induced turbulence and Mach number variations significantly degrade the effective key rate in both models. The proposed evaluation scheme, leveraging QuTiP's quantum modeling capabilities, provides a comprehensive framework for optimizing airborne QKD systems for secure communication in dynamic flight conditions. Furthermore, the insights gained from this work can be extended to satellite-based communication networks, where similar dynamic conditions-such as relative motion, atmospheric disturbances, and line-of-sight sta-bility-pose significant challenges for secure quantum commu-nication.