Design and early validation of a portable modular free-space quantum optical terminal for drone and HAP deployment over a 20 km urban link

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This work introduces a portable, size-weight-and-power (SWaP) constrained optical terminal designed for quantum networking via drones and high-altitude platforms (HAPs). By operating at higher altitudes, the terminal mitigates the impact of path-integrated turbulence that plagues traditional terrestrial links. The design and validation confirm the feasibility of creating flexible, on-demand quantum-secure communication nodes in urban environments.