Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) offers unconditional security in principle. Many QKD protocols have been proposed and demonstrated to ensure secure communication between two authenticated users. Continuous variable (CV) QKD offers many advantages over discrete variable (DV) QKD since it is cost-effective, compatible with current classical communication technologies, efficient even in daylight, and gives a higher secure key rate. Keeping this in view, we demonstrate a discrete modulated CVQKD protocol in the free space which is robust against polarization drift. We also present the simulation results with a noise model to account for the channel noise and the effects of various parameter changes on the secure key rate. These simulation results help us to verify the experimental values obtained for the implemented CVQKD.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) offers unconditional security in principle. Many QKD protocols have been proposed and demonstrated to ensure secure communication between two authenticated users. Continuous variable (CV) QKD offers many advantages over discrete variable (DV) QKD since it is cost-effective, compatible with current classical communication technologies, efficient even in daylight, and gives a higher secure key rate. Keeping this in view, we demonstrate a discrete modulated CVQKD protocol in the free space which is robust against polarization drift. We also present the simulation results with a noise model to account for the channel noise and the effects of various parameter changes on the secure key rate. These simulation results help us to verify the experimental values obtained for the implemented CVQKD.
Abstract Establishing secure data communication necessitates secure key exchange over a public channel. Quantum key distribution (QKD), which leverages the principles of quantum physics, can achieve this with information-theoretic security. The discrete modulated (DM) continuous variable (CV) QKD protocol, in particular, is a suitable candidate for large-scale deployment of quantum-safe communication due to its simplicity and compatibility with standard high-speed telecommunication technology. Here, we present the first experimental demonstration of a four-state DM CVQKD system, successfully generating composable finite-size keys, secure against collective attacks over a 20 km fiber channel with 2.3 × 109 coherent quantum states, achieving a positive composable key rate of 11.04 × 10−3 bits/symbol. This accomplishment is enabled by using an advanced security proof, meticulously selecting its parameters, and the fast, stable operation of the system. Our results mark a significant step toward the large-scale deployment of practical, high-performance, cost-effective, and highly secure quantum key distribution networks using standard telecommunication components.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) enables the establishment of secret keys between users connected via a channel vulnerable to eavesdropping, with information-theoretic security, that is, independently of the power of a malevolent party [1]. QKD systems based on the encoding of the key information on continuous variables (CV), such as the values of the quadrature components of coherent states [2], [3], present the major advantage that they only require standard telecommunication technology. However, the most general security proofs for CVQKD required until now the use of Gaussian modulation by the transmitter, complicating practical implementations [4]–[6]. Here, we experimentally implement a protocol that allows for arbitrary, Gaussian-like, discrete modulations, whose security is based on a theoretical proof that applies generally to such situations [7]. These modulation formats are compatible with the use of powerful tools of coherent optical telecommunication, allowing our system to reach an estimated performance of tens of megabit per second secret key rates over 25 km
Continuous-variable (CV) quantum key distribution (QKD) allows for quantum secure communication with the benefit of being close to classical coherent communication. In recent years, CV QKD protocols using a discrete number of displaced coherent states have been studied intensively as the modulation can be directly implemented with real devices with finite resolution. Until now, experiments only calculated key rates in the asymptotic regime. Here, we present a CV QKD system using discrete modulation that is especially designed for atmospheric channels. We use polarization encoding to exploit the nonbirefringent nature of the turbulent atmosphere. This allows to expand CV QKD networks beyond the existing fiber backbone. In a laboratory demonstration with a static 3-decibel loss channel, we implemented a recently developed security proof allowing to calculate composable finite-size key rates against independently and identically distributed collective attacks. We applied the full QKD protocol including a quantum random number generator, error correction, and privacy amplification to extract secret keys.
Establishing scalable, secure quantum networks requires advancing beyond conventional point-to-point quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols toward point-to-multipoint QKD protocols. Here, we generalize a well-established discrete-modulated continuous-variable (CV) QKD protocol from the point-to-point to the point-to-multipoint setting. We present a comprehensive security analysis across different scenarios and derive secret key rates for loss-only and noisy channels, both in the asymptotic and the composable finite-size regime. Experimentally, we validate the protocol in a passive optical network with 10 km access links, achieving a composable secure key rate of 2.185×10 −3 bits per symbol (0.273 Mbit/s) against independent and identically distributed collective attacks. Our results demonstrate that discrete-modulated CV-QKD can support access networks with multiple users while relying solely on cost-efficient, off-the-shelf telecommunication components, paving the way toward practical, scalable, and secure quantum networks.
Abstract Satellite‐to‐ground quantum communication constitutes the cornerstone of the global quantum network, heralding the advent of the future of quantum information. Continuous‐variable quantum key distribution is a strong candidate for the space‐ground quantum communication due to its simplicity, stability, and ease of implementation, especially for the robustness of space background light noise. Recently, the discrete‐modulated continuous‐variable protocol has garnered increased attention, owing to its lower implementation requirements, acceptable security key rate, and pronounced compatibility with extant infrastructures. Here, key rates are derived for discrete‐modulated continuous‐variable quantum key distribution protocols in free‐space channel environments across various conditions through numerical simulation, revealing the viability of its application in satellite‐to‐ground communication.
Continuous variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) uses the continuous quadratures of light to share a secret key between a transmitter and receiver. The presence of an eavesdropper can be detected by fundamental quantum mechanics. Compared to the more established discrete variable QKD, CVQKD uses more cost-effective homodyne detectors which are more compatible with current telecommunication technologies. In a future global quantum network, CVQKD could be used to ensure the secure exchange of information. In this work, the feasibility of a variety of CVQKD protocols in different channels that could be used to establish a global quantum network are studied. These are the Gaussian modulated and discrete modulated CVQKD protocols for satellite to optical ground station downlinks and uplinks for Earth-space connections, inter-satellite links for space connections, satellite to ship and underwater links for maritime connections, and fibre network links for terrestrial connections. Secret key distribution between continents and various regions is simulated while accounting for the different adverse effects associated with each link. The combination of these connections with routing and scheduling ensures inter-continental high-speed information exchange with unconditional security that is required to achieve the goal of a global quantum network.