Real-time operation of a multi-rate, multi-protocol quantum key distribution transmitter

Innocenzo De Marco; Robert Ian Woodward; George L. Roberts; Taofiq K. Paraïso; Thomas Roger; Mirko Sanzaro; Marco Lucamarini; Zhiliang Yuan; Andrew  Shields

doi:10.1364/OPTICA.423517

Real-time operation of a multi-rate, multi-protocol quantum key distribution transmitter

Innocenzo De Marco, Robert Ian Woodward, George L. Roberts, Taofiq K. Paraïso, Thomas Roger, Mirko Sanzaro, Marco Lucamarini, Zhiliang Yuan, Andrew Shields

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is the best candidate for securing communications against attackers, who may in the future exploit quantum-enhanced computational powers to break classical encryption. As such, new challenges are arising from our need for large-scale deployment of QKD systems. In a realistic scenario, transmitting and receiving devices from different vendors should be able to communicate with each other without the need for matching hardware. Therefore, practical deployment of QKD would require hardware capable of adapting to different protocols and clock rates. Here, we address this challenge by presenting a multi-rate, multi-protocol QKD transmitter linked to a correspondingly adaptable QKD receiver. The flexibility of the transmitter, achieved by optical injection locking, allows us to connect it with two receivers with inherently different clock rates. Furthermore, we demonstrate the multi-protocol operation of our transmitter, communicating with receiving parties employing different decoding circuits.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	911-915
Number of pages	5
Journal	Optica
Volume	8
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.423517
Publication status	Published - 16 Jun 2021

Bibliographical note

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10.1364/OPTICA.423517Licence: CC BY

optica-8-6-911
© 2021 Optical Society of America
Final published version, 5.77 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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abstract = "Quantum key distribution (QKD) is the best candidate for securing communications against attackers, who may in the future exploit quantum-enhanced computational powers to break classical encryption. As such, new challenges are arising from our need for large-scale deployment of QKD systems. In a realistic scenario, transmitting and receiving devices from different vendors should be able to communicate with each other without the need for matching hardware. Therefore, practical deployment of QKD would require hardware capable of adapting to different protocols and clock rates. Here, we address this challenge by presenting a multi-rate, multi-protocol QKD transmitter linked to a correspondingly adaptable QKD receiver. The flexibility of the transmitter, achieved by optical injection locking, allows us to connect it with two receivers with inherently different clock rates. Furthermore, we demonstrate the multi-protocol operation of our transmitter, communicating with receiving parties employing different decoding circuits.",

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AU - De Marco, Innocenzo

AU - Woodward, Robert Ian

AU - Roberts, George L.

AU - Paraïso, Taofiq K.

AU - Roger, Thomas

AU - Sanzaro, Mirko

AU - Lucamarini, Marco

AU - Yuan, Zhiliang

AU - Shields , Andrew

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