Teaching quantum communications through a hands-on laboratory

Teaching quantum communication is a challenging task when involving different technical and engineering backgrounds. The use of an approach that exploits the knowledge of these profiles, as well as other technological resources available for demonstrations or exercises, enhances this teaching. This paper presents as an example the "Quantum Communications Lab" that took place at the 6th INFIERI Summer School in 2021. In this lab, the access to the Madrid Quantum Communication Infrastructure (MadQCI) was an important resource available.