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arXiv:2110.14126 · Optics Express

Practical quantum access network over a 10 Gbit/s Ethernet passive optical network

Bi-Xiao Wang, Shi-Biao Tang, Yingqiu Mao, Xu Wenhua, Ming Cheng, Jun Zhang, Teng‐Yun Chen, Jian-Wei Pan

Published Oct 26, 2021• 29 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides an information-theoretically secure method to share keys between legitimate users. To achieve large-scale deployment of QKD, it should be easily scalable and cost-effective. The infrastructure construction of quantum access network (QAN) expands network capacity and the integration between QKD and classical optical communications reduces the cost of channel. Here, we present a practical downstream QAN over a 10 Gbit/s Ethernet passive optical network (10G-EPON), which can support up to 64 users. In the full coexistence scheme using the single feeder fiber structure, the co-propagation of QAN and 10G-EPON signals with 9 dB attenuation is achieved over 21 km fiber, and the secure key rate for each of 16 users reaches 1.5 kbps. In the partial coexistence scheme using the dual feeder fiber structure, the combination of QAN and full-power 10G-EPON signals is achieved over 11 km with a network capacity of 64-user. The practical QAN over the 10G-EPON in our work implements an important step towards the achievement of large-scale QKD infrastructure.

DOI
10.1364/oe.442785

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Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides an information-theoretically secure method to share keys between legitimate users. To achieve large-scale deployment of QKD, it should be easily scalable and cost-effective. The infrastructure construction of quantum access network (QAN) expands network capacity and the integration between QKD and classical optical communications reduces the cost of channel. Here, we present a practical downstream QAN over a 10 Gbit/s Ethernet passive optical network (10G-EPON), which can support up to 64 users. In the full coexistence scheme using the single feeder fiber structure, the co-propagation of QAN and 10G-EPON signals with 9 dB attenuation is achieved over 21 km fiber, and the secure key rate for each of 16 users reaches 1.5 kbps. In the partial coexistence scheme using the dual feeder fiber structure, the combination of QAN and full-power 10G-EPON signals is achieved over 11 km with a network capacity of 64-user. The practical QAN over the 10G-EPON in our work implements an important step towards the achievement of large-scale QKD infrastructure.
The extension from point-to-point quantum key distribution (QKD) to multipoint communication is an inevitable trend toward the large-scale development of QKD networks. At present, it is a relatively simple and cost-effective implementation to integrate quantum access networks (QANs) into existing Ethernet passive optical access networks (EPONs). This work proposes a quantum secured 10 Gbit/s EPON (10G-EPON), in which a plug-and-play twin-field QKD (PnP-TF-QKD) architecture is developed, requiring a single untrusted laser and a pair of shared detectors. The PnP-TF-QKD implementation is compatible with standard 10G-EPON and can support up to 64 users. In addition, prior to the deployment of QKD on EPON, it is crucial to predict in advance whether the attainable QAN indicators, such as the secure key rate, the maximum feeder fiber length, etc., meet the requirements of a certain circumstance. However, this task is often complex and time consuming. Therefore, we present a machine-learning-based user-demand-oriented prediction model to facilitate the evaluation of QAN parameters. The plug-and-play twin-field quantum access network (PnP-TF-QAN) and its machine-learning-assisted implementation method provide guidance for further experiments and actual deployments of large-scale QANs.
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It is well known that optical access networks are able to provide high data rates over long distances and to a reasonable number of users. Security and privacy are always a challenge for public accessible network infrastructures. Especially in time-division multiplexing passive optical networks (TDM-PONs), in which the downstream signal is broadcasted to all users connected via the same wavelength channel in a shared fiber link, privacy can be a critical concern. Although encryption at the application layer can provide a high level of security, this can be achieved only if the encryption key distribution is perfectly save. On the other hand, encryption on the physical layer such as quantum cryptography or, more precisely, quantum key distribution (QKD) is a very promising approach to achieve secure communication. However, there remain several issues that have to be solved before the quantum cryptography reaches the maturity level needed for a cost effective implementation in practical networks. In this paper, we address quantum key distribution (QKD) over passive optical access networks, which is an enabling technology required to cost efficiently deploy practical quantum encrypted data communication in the access area. We study different methods to integrate QKD systems in conventional optical access networks and quantitatively evaluate their suitability for a potential implementation.
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Optical access networks connect multiple endpoints to a common network node via shared fibre infrastructure. They will play a vital role to scale up the number of users in quantum key distribution (QKD) networks. However, the presence of power splitters in the commonly used passive network architecture makes successful transmission of weak quantum signals challenging. This is especially true if QKD and data signals are multiplexed in the passive network. The splitter introduces an imbalance between quantum signal and Raman noise, which can prevent the recovery of the quantum signal completely. Here we introduce a method to overcome this limitation and demonstrate coexistence of multi-user QKD and full power data traffic from a gigabit passive optical network (GPON) for the first time. The dual feeder implementation is compatible with standard GPON architectures and can support up to 128 users, highlighting that quantum protected GPON networks could be commonplace in the future.
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