Don Boroson

Dr. Don Boroson is a Laboratory Fellow at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, where he has spent his entire career since earning his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University.

His educational background:

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Princeton University

Dr. Boroson's research focuses on quantum communications and optical communications systems, with pioneering contributions to free-space laser communication. He developed the world's first telecom-rate space-based lasercom system (GeoLITE) and led the successful 2013 Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration that achieved 600 Mbps error-free from the Moon to Earth using a 0.5-Watt laser. His work bridges quantum information theory and practical engineering, rediscovering noiseless photon counting for communications and exploring quantum-enabled sensing applications like Very Long Baseline Interferometry.

Throughout his career, Dr. Boroson has led high-impact projects including NASA's Mars Laser Communication Demo (as Lead System Engineer until cancellation) and the Optical Communications Group's quantum initiatives. He continues to leverage decades of photonics expertise to advance quantum communication architectures and entanglement distribution systems.

Dr. Boroson collaborates extensively with MIT researchers and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, particularly in developing superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) for deep-space communication. His team at Lincoln Laboratory maintains leadership in translating quantum theoretical concepts into operational space communication systems.