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arXiv:1912.03131 · International Scientific Conference on Computing in Physics and Technology (CPT)

Robust diagnostics of dark counts for quantum networks

Nikolay Sergeevich Perminov, Maksim A. Smirnov, K. S. Melnik, L. R. Gilyazov, O. I. Bannik, Marat Rinatovich Amirhanov, D. Yu. Tarankova, Aleksandr Litvinov

Published Nov 21, 2020• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

In this work, we study timestamps when registering counts of single-photon detectors in quantum communications. Post-pulse counts are analyzed based on several approaches. Explicit statistical accounting of the noise of quantum detectors allows you to most correctly select the mode of use of the detectors to realize the most efficient quantum communication with the highest signal to noise ratio. Direct statistical analysis and robust diagnostics of the noise of quantum detectors can be done by ranging the time's tags of quantum keys that are available for the online diagnostic system and analysis a significant amount of information about the quantum communication performance (the amount of dark noise and post-pulse counts, line interference, etc.). The conclusion is made about the proportion of dark noise and post-pulse counts in the total noise, and the limits of applicability of the theory are shown using a sequence of the ranged amplitudes. We offer non-parametric robust diagnostic of times tags in keys to increase the security of quantum networks, and also discuss the prospects of commercializing quantum-classical cloud-based security services.

DOI
10.30987/conferencearticle_5fce27726f64b0.74021110

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In this work, we study timestamps when registering counts of single-photon detectors in quantum communications. Post-pulse counts are analyzed based on several approaches. Explicit statistical accounting of the noise of quantum detectors allows you to most correctly select the mode of use of the detectors to realize the most efficient quantum communication with the highest signal to noise ratio. Direct statistical analysis and robust diagnostics of the noise of quantum detectors can be done by ranging the time's tags of quantum keys that are available for the online diagnostic system and analysis a significant amount of information about the quantum communication performance (the amount of dark noise and post-pulse counts, line interference, etc.). The conclusion is made about the proportion of dark noise and post-pulse counts in the total noise, and the limits of applicability of the theory are shown using a sequence of the ranged amplitudes. We offer non-parametric robust diagnostic of times tags in keys to increase the security of quantum networks, and also discuss the prospects of commercializing quantum-classical cloud-based security services.
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In this paper, we present a Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocol that accounts for fundamental practical challenges, including chromatic dispersion , time measurement uncertainty, and dark counts. Our analysis provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the impact of these physical phenomena on QKD efficiency, offering practical strategies for enhancing the robustness and security of quantum communication systems in real-world applications. In particular, by manipulating the chirp parameter of single-photon wave packets, we demonstrate significant improvements in key generation rates and an extended range of secure communication.
In quantum communication systems, the precise estimation of the detector´s response to the incoming light is necessary to avoid security breaches. The typical working regime uses a free-running single-photon avalanche diode in combination with attenuated laser pulses at telecom wavelength for encoding information. We demonstrate the validity of an analytical model for this regime that considers the effects of dark counts and dead time on the measured count rate. For the purpose of gaining a better understanding of these effects, the photon detections were separated from the dark counts via a software-induced gating mechanism. The model was verified by experimental data for mean photon numbers covering three orders of magnitude as well as for laser repetition frequencies below and above the inverse dead time. Consequently, our model would be of interest for predicting the detector response not only in the field of quantum communications, but also in any other quantum physics experiment where high detection rates are needed.
We develop new methods of quantifying the impact of photon detector imperfections on possible secret key rates in Time-Entanglement based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). We address photon detection timing jitter, detector downtime, and dark photon counts and show how each may decrease the maximum achievable secret key rate differently. We begin with a standard Discrete Memoryless Channel (DMC) model to get a good bound on the mutual information lost due to the timing jitter, then introduce a novel Markov Chain (MC) based model to characterize the effect of detector downtime and show how it introduces memory to the key generation process. Finally, we propose a new method of including dark counts in the analysis that shows how dark counts can be especially detrimental when using the common Pulse Position Modulation (PPM) for key generation. Our results show that these three imperfections can significantly reduce the achievable secret key rate when using PPM for QKD. One of our main results is providing tooling for experimentalists to predict their systems’ achievable secret key rate given the detector specifications.