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arXiv:0708.3546

Field Experimental "Star Type" Metropolitan Quantum Key Distribution Network

Wei Chen, Zheng-F Han, Tao Zhang, Hao Wen, Zhen-Q Yin, Fang-X Xu, Qing-L Wu, Yun-Liu, Yang Zhang, Xiao-F Mo, You-Z Gui, Guo Wei, Guang-C Guo

Published Aug 27, 2007• 4 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Quantum key distribution (QKD) network has recently attracted growing attentions. Due to the special characteristics of quantum information, to build a full-connectivity QKD network without trusted relays is a stimulating challenge. In this letter, we report on the first realization of QKD network without trusted relays which covers metropolis in the commercial backbone optical fiber networks. The star topology four-user QKD network automatically addresses the quantum signal with a quantum router (QR) and every user in the network can receive and distribute quantum keys to any others simultaneously. The longest and the shortest length of fibers between two geographically separated nodes are 42.6km and 32km respectively, and the maximum average quantum bit error rate (QBER) is below 8%. This result opens a new possibility for the use of QKD into existing network.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.0708.3546

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Quantum key distribution (QKD) networks have recently attracted growing attention. The topology of the local QKD network is the basis of the next-generation global secure communication network. In this letter, we report a realization of a wavelength-routing star type QKD network which can span a metropolis using a commercial backbone optical fiber network without trusted relays. The longest and the shortest fiber lengths between two geographically separated nodes are 42.6 and 32 km, respectively, and the maximum average quantum bit-error rate is below 8%. A novel analysis model with experimental validation is also proposed to evaluate the user's performance in this network under the condition of maximum multiuser crosstalk.
We have demonstrated a metropolitan all-pass quantum communication network in field fiber for four nodes. Any two nodes of them can be connected in the network to perform quantum key distribution (QKD). An optical switching module is presented that enables arbitrary 2-connectivity among output ports. Integrated QKD terminals are worked out, which can operate either as a transmitter, a receiver, or even both at the same time. Furthermore, an additional link in another city of 60 km fiber (up to 130 km) is seamless integrated into this network based on a trusted relay architecture. On all the links, we have implemented protocol of decoy state scheme. All of necessary electrical hardware, synchronization, feedback control, network software, execution of QKD protocols are made by tailored designing, which allow a completely automatical and stable running. Our system has been put into operation in Hefei in August 2009, and publicly demonstrated during an evaluation conference on quantum network organized by the Chinese Academy of Sciences on August 29, 2009. Real-time voice telephone with one-time pad encoding between any two of the five nodes (four all-pass nodes plus one additional node through relay) is successfully established in the network within 60 km.
We report on the design and field validation of a fully connected entanglement-based quantum key distribution (QKD) network employing a time-shared photon-pair source and reconfigurable optical switching. The system eliminates the need for trusted relay nodes and enables any-to-any secure connectivity among users over metropolitan-scale fiber infrastructure. We present a three-node prototype network operating in the O-band(1310/1316nm)(1310 / 1316 \text{nm})(1310/1316nm)which demonstrates key generation sufficient to provide pairwise 10 G encrypted connections between 32 users, and confirming practical feasibility for telecom integration.
We present simultaneous quantum key distribution (QKD) between any two pairs of participants in a 4-party star-shaped optical fiber network without a trusted node. Our QKD system is the first to extend an entanglement-based time-bin coding protocol to multiple pairs of participants. We demonstrate key exchange over distances of more than 75 km and show that our network can be readily extended to at least 34 participants by using wavelength-division multiplexing in the optical C-band and with small modifications up to 102 participants. Our scheme is compatible to multiplexing approaches that were implemented earlier with polarization-based QKD and can thereby be extended to a fully connected network. In contrast to polarization-based QKD, the all-fiber system we present is insensitive to polarization instabilities in the fiber link. This enables key distribution networks with low quantum bit error rates and stable secure key rates using deployed fibers even under challenging environmental conditions.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) enables information-theoretically secure cryptographic key exchange by exploiting quantum mechanical properties -- photon polarisation, entanglement, and the no-cloning theorem -- to detect any eavesdropping attempt. Scaling QKD from point-to-point laboratory demonstrations to large-scale metropolitan and wide-area networks requires addressing three engineering challenges: photon loss over long fibre distances (limiting practical QKD to ~100-150 km without quantum repeaters), network topology design for multi-party key delivery, and integration of QKD with classical network infrastructure. This paper proposes the Quantum Key Distribution Network Architecture (QKDNA) framework, a systematic evaluation of five QKD protocol families (BB84, E91, MDI-QKD, Twin-Field QKD, and CV-QKD) across four network topology models (star, ring, mesh, and hierarchical trusted-node) on 16 real-world metropolitan network scenarios. QKDNA achieves maximum secure key rate of 18.4 Mbps (Twin-Field QKD, 80 km fibre, mesh topology) and demonstrates scalable QKD delivery to 48 simultaneous users. The framework contributes a Network QKD Deployment Index (NQDI) and quantitative guidance for national quantum network infrastructure planning.
A hierarchical metropolitan quantum cryptography network upon the inner-city commercial telecom fiber cables is reported in this paper. The techniques of the quantum router, optical switch and trusted relay are assembled here to divide the seven-user network into a four-node backbone net, a two-user subnet and a single-fiber access link. Secure keys distributed in this network can be utilized to encrypt the instant video, sound, text messages and confidential files transmitting between nodes. The whole implementation including the hierarchical quantum cryptographic communication links and the corresponding application software shows a big step toward the practical user-oriented network with a high security level.