Gwangju City Accelerates Building Quantum Cryptography Communication Industry Ecosystem

High-Performance Single-Photon Detection Devices and Single-Photon Detectors

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 24th that a project from a local company was selected in the ‘2020 1st Information and Communication·Broadcasting Technology Development Project for Quantum Cryptography Communication Integration and Transmission Technology Advancement,’ hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and organized by the Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation.

Quantum cryptography communication is a crucial technology industry necessary for building stable networks in various fields where hacking and eavesdropping risks are critical, such as autonomous vehicles, financial data, and mobile, as well as fostering new industries in the 4th Industrial Revolution.

This contest was promoted by the Ministry of Science and ICT to support the advancement of quantum cryptography communication transmission technology. A local company, Wooriro Co., Ltd., participated with the project titled ‘Development of a High-Efficiency Single Photon Detector Operating at Gigahertz (GHz) Speed Based on Compound Semiconductor’ and achieved the top prize.

Accordingly, Wooriro Co., Ltd. will receive a total budget of 3.4 billion KRW by 2023 and, in collaboration with ID Quantique Ltd. (formerly SKT Quantum Tech Lab), the world’s leading quantum cryptography communication company, will promote the development of a compact single photon detector (SPD) that restores signals transmitted by single photons using a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD).

Wooriro Co., Ltd. possesses world-class core technology in single photon detection miniaturized chip technology.

In particular, the technology to implement an ultra-high sensitivity optical sensor capable of detecting ‘photons’ on a chip is evaluated as an essential component of quantum cryptography communication, which creates communication equipment that cannot be read or eavesdropped by any method.

This is a dream future technology that can be utilized in ultra-high sensitivity biosensors, 3D LiDAR, and more.

Since the 7th local government administration, Gwangju City has actively pursued the development of core quantum-related technologies and fostering related companies by applying for the 2020 ICT Talent Development Project (Quantum Sensor field) hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, supporting marketing for local quantum cryptography communication companies, and promoting the construction of a quantum test network for commercial product verification.

With this project as a turning point, once the single photon detector (SPD) development is completed, it is expected to promote industrialization in the fields of quantum information communication and quantum sensing, as well as meet demands for faster, more efficient, and miniaturized single photon detectors in communication wavelength bands to reduce quantum network construction costs.

Through this, it will be possible to enhance national competitiveness and security, prevent damages caused by large-scale information leaks, increase social benefits, and create a new cyber security premium market.

Son Kyung-jong, Director of the AI Industry Bureau of Gwangju City, said, “Building quantum-related infrastructure is essential for Gwangju to successfully establish an AI integration complex,” and added, “We will continue to actively support local companies’ quantum-related technology development and commercialization.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.