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arXiv:2511.05173

Performance Analysis of One- and Two-way DV-QKD with MIMO FSO Communication Systems

Sushil Kumar, Soumya P. Dash, George C. Alexandropoulos

quant-pheess.SPSubmitted Nov 7, 2025• Announced Nov 10, 2025• 0 citations
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Abstract

This paper considers a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless system wherein two legitimate users attempt to exchange secret keys over free-space optical (FSO) channels. Novel frameworks for the use of the one- and two-way discrete-variable quantum key distribution (DV-QKD) protocols, employing weak coherent pulses and decoy states, are presented. Focusing on the case where a photon-number-splitting attack is adopted by the eavesdropper and the legitimate multi-antenna receiver using threshold detection for the key extraction, novel expressions for the secret key rate and quantum bit error rate for both one- and two-way protocols are derived. The performance gain with larger MIMO configurations and the tradeoff between the performances with the one- and the two-way protocols with respect to the transmission distance of the legitimate FSO link are numerically assessed.

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6 pages, 3 figures

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Quantum key distribution (QKD) systems for use in future free-space optical communication links restrict communication to a low bit rate. In this paper, increasing the QKD bit rate using a communication system that includes a multiple-input-multiple-output quantum key distribution (MQKD) is proposed. Such a system can enable a number of receivers to communicate simultaneously with a number of transmitter elements, which consequently increases the overall QKD bit rate. However, due to scattering and turbulence in the atmospheric channel, this method may introduce interference effects when a photon transmitted from one transmitter element reaches the wrong detector element in the receiver. These interference effects reduce the system bit rate and increase the quantum bit error rate. A novel mathematical model for analyzing the effect of crosstalk and interference on the MQKD system performance is derived. The results of the analysis indicate that atmospheric effects impair performance. In order to mitigate the atmospheric effect, using several wavelengths simultaneously is suggested. Criteria to define the number of wavelengths that are required to achieve a given performance are also provided.