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arXiv:2305.18696

Energy-time Entanglement Coexisting with Fiber Optical Communication at Telecom C-band

Yunru Fan, Yue Luo, Zi-Chang Zhang, Yunbo Li, Sheng Liu, Dong Wang, Dechao Zhang, Guangwei Deng, Wang, You, Hai‐Zhi Song, Zhen Wang, Lixing You, Chenzhi Yuan, Guang‐Can Guo, Qiang Zhou

Published May 30, 2023• 3 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The coexistence of quantum and classical light in the same fiber link is extremely desired in developing quantum communication. It has been implemented for different quantum information tasks, such as classical light coexisting with polarization-entangled photons at telecom O-band, and with quantum signal based quantum key distribution (QKD). In this work, we demonstrate the coexistence of energy-time entanglement based QKD and fiber optical communication at the telecom C-band. The property of noise from the classical channel is characterized with classical light at different wavelengths. With the largest noise, i.e., the worst case, the properties of energy-time entanglement are measured at different fiber optical communication rates. By measuring the two-photon interference of energy-time entanglement, our results show that a visibility of 82.01$\pm$1.10\% is achieved with a bidirectional 20 Gbps fiber optical communication over 40 km. Furthermore, by performing the BBM92 protocol for QKD, a secret key rate of 245 bits per second could be generated with a quantum bit error rate of 8.88\% with the coexisted energy-time entanglement.~Our demonstration paves the way for developing the infrastructure for quantum networks compatible with fiber optical communication.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2305.18696

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The authors study the coexistence of quantum entanglement with fiber optical communication at the telecom CCC band. The performance of quantum key distribution based on distributed energy-time entanglement coexisting with classical light is characterized, which paves the way for developing a cost-effective quantum entanglement network compatible with fiber communications.
The coexistence of quantum information and classical signals within the same fiber link is essential for realizing future quantum networks that utilize the well-established optical fiber infrastructure. In this work, we demonstrate the coexistence of CCC-band energy-time entanglement and LLL-band classical data. By employing wavelength-division multiplexing techniques and polarization management, we achieve quantum entanglement distribution over a 40-km-long fiber carrying $4\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\textmu{}\mathrm{W}$ of bidirectional received power. Under the highest noise conditions, we obtain a visibility of $84.59\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.68%$ from Franson interference and calculate a secret key rate of 1.89 kbps using the Bennett-Brassard-Mermin 1992 (BBM92) protocol, showing improved performance compared to an all-CCC-band setup. These results pave the way for large-scale quantum-classical coexistence within existing optical fiber infrastructure.
Entanglement distribution between spatially distant nodes is crucial for advancing the development of quantum networks. Achieving large-scale, practical quantum networks by leveraging existing fiber infrastructures and commercial technologies can greatly enhance cost efficiency in real-world applications. As such, the simultaneous transmission of quantum entanglement and classical signals within a single optical fiber is becoming increasingly desirable, yet it remains challenging due to the substantial intensity disparities between single-photon-level quantum light and classical traffic. In this study, we theoretically describe and experimentally implement polarization entanglement distribution using a continuous wave pumped integrated AlGaAs Bragg reflection waveguide quantum source, coexisting with classical light in optical fiber at the telecom C-band. The characteristics of noise photons are analyzed and evaluated under different levels of classical light power. Using the BBM92 protocol for quantum key distribution, we demonstrate that temporal and spectral filtering during coincidence detection, combined with optimized source brightness, effectively influences the secure key rate and achievable distance of the system. Polarization drift is measured across various fiber paths, with 35-hour stability tests on fibers ranging up to 55 km in length. Our results can guide the initial design of optimal entanglement distribution networks that are compatible with fiber-optic communication systems.
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Compatibility with existing classical network infrastructure offers a scalable path towards deploying large-scale quantum networks. Here, we demonstrate O-band polarization-encoded quantum entanglement distribution over an installed 24.4-km fiber while coexisting with a state-of-the-art fully-loaded C-band classical communications line system and a picosecond-level precision L-band synchronization signal. The classical system carries two 800-Gbps channels while the remainder of the C-band is filled with amplified spontaneous emission, as is standard for such state-of-the-art communications systems. We examine the spontaneous Raman scattering spectrum generated from this broadband C-band light and offer insights into wavelength allocation for O-band quantum channels. Optimal wavelength selection and narrow filtering enable well-preserved Bell state fidelity when coexisting with 21.4-dBm aggregate launch power across the C-band suitable for 36-Tbps transmission. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first implementation of entanglement-based quantum communications between two remote nodes coexisting with independent classical communications traffic. We demonstrate coexistence of quantum entanglement with ultra-high power levels and record classical bandwidth, offering promise for real-world entanglement-based networking integrated within high-capacity communications infrastructure.