A direct GHz-clocked phase and intensity modulated transmitter applied to quantum key distribution
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Publication Date
2018Journal Title
Quantum Science and Technology
ISSN
2058-9565
Publisher
IOP Publishing
Volume
3
Issue
4
Type
Article
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Roberts, G., Lucamarini, M., Dynes, J., Savory, S., Yuan, Z., & Shields, A. (2018). A direct GHz-clocked phase and intensity modulated transmitter applied to quantum key distribution. Quantum Science and Technology, 3 (4) https://doi.org/10.1088/2058-9565/aad9bd
Abstract
Quantum key distribution (QKD), a technology that enables perfectly secure
communication, has evolved to the stage where many different protocols are
being used in real-world implementations. Each protocol has its own advantages,
meaning that users can choose the one best-suited to their application, however
each often requires different hardware. This complicates multi-user networks,
in which users may need multiple transmitters to communicate with one another.
Here, we demonstrate a direct-modulation based transmitter that can be used to
implement most weak coherent pulse based QKD protocols with simple changes to
the driving signals. This also has the potential to extend to classical
communications, providing a low chirp transmitter with simple driving
requirements that combines phase shift keying with amplitude shift keying. We
perform QKD with concurrent time-bin and phase modulation, alongside phase
randomisation. The acquired data is used to evaluate secure key rates for
time-bin encoded BB84 with decoy states and a finite key-size analysis, giving
megabit per second secure key rates, 1.60 times higher than if purely
phase-encoded BB84 was used.
Sponsorship
Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851
Funder references
EPSRC (1635675)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/G037256/1)
EPSRC (via University of York) (EP/M013472/1)
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/2058-9565/aad9bd
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/282970
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