Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2606.04211

High-Dimensional Quantum Key Distribution via full Core-mode Encoding over Deployed Multicore Fibers

G. H. dos Santos, K. B. Sawada, N. Villalba, C. Jara, N. Guerrero, C. Melo, M. H. Magiotto, D. Martínez, G. B. Xavier, J. Cariñe, G. Saavedra, E. S. Gómez, S. P. Walborn, G. Lima

quant-phSubmitted Jun 2, 2026• Announced Jun 4, 2026• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides information-theoretic security rooted in quantum physics, while high-dimensional (HD) encoding increases both noise tolerance and secret-key yield. Multicore fibers (MCFs), a leading platform for next-generation telecom networks, are a natural substrate for HD-QKD. Field demonstrations over deployed MCFs have so far relied on a hybrid qudit encoding strategy that combines two path (core modes) with the time-bin photonic degree of freedom, rather than exploiting the full set of available core modes. Although practical, this approach incurs intrinsic efficiency penalties that grow with dimension. Here we implement a four-dimensional ($d=4$) QKD protocol that directly exploits the full set of core modes of a four-core MCF, operating over an installed MCF network across the Universidad de Concepción campus under continuous environmental perturbations. We further benchmark the scheme using superconducting nanowire detectors at $10\,$dB channel loss, achieving a composable finite-key rate of $R = 6.19\times 10^{-3}\,$bits/pulse, the highest per-pulse rate reported to date for HD-QKD at comparable loss. This result establishes core-mode encoding as a viable architecture for realistic, high-rate quantum-secure communications.

Comments
15 pages, 7 figures

Related papers

High-Dimensional Quantum Key Distribution via Full Core-Mode Encoding over Deployed Multicore Fibers

Gustavo Henrique dos Santos, Kei Braz Sawada, N. Villalba +11 more

Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides information-theoretic security rooted in quantum physics, while high-dimensional (HD) encoding increases both noise tolerance and secret-key yield. Multicore fibers (MCFs), a leading platform for next-generation telecom networks, are a natural substrate for HD-QKD. Field demonstrations over deployed MCFs have so far relied on a hybrid qudit encoding strategy that combines two path (core modes) with the time-bin photonic degree of freedom, rather than exploiting the full set of available core modes. Although practical, this current approach incurs intrinsic efficiency penalties that grow with dimension. Encoding a qudit in the full set of core modes removes these penalties, but it requires the coherent control of all cores at once and has so far been restricted to laboratory settings. Here we implement a four-dimensional ( d = 4 ) QKD protocol that directly exploits the full set of core modes of a four-core MCF, operating over an installed MCF network across the Universidad de Concepción campus under continuous environmental perturbations. We further benchmark the scheme using superconducting nanowire detectors at 10 dB channel loss, achieving a composable finite-key rate of R = 6.19 × 10 − 3 bits / pulse , the highest per-pulse rate reported to date for deployed HD-QKD at comparable loss. This result establishes core-mode encoding as a viable architecture for realistic, high-rate quantum-secure communications.

PRX Quantum•Sep 10, 2026•0 citations

Practical high-dimensional quantum key distribution protocol over deployed multicore fiber

Mujtaba Zahidy, Domenico Ribezzo, Claudia De Lazzari +12 more

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a secure communication scheme for sharing symmetric cryptographic keys based on the laws of quantum physics, and is considered a key player in the realm of cyber-security. A critical challenge for QKD systems comes from the fact that the ever-increasing rates at which digital data are transmitted require more and more performing sources of quantum keys, primarily in terms of secret key generation rate. High-dimensional QKD based on path encoding has been proposed as a candidate approach to address this challenge. However, while proof-of-principle demonstrations based on lab experiments have been reported in the literature, demonstrations in realistic environments are still missing. Here we report the generation of secret keys in a 4-dimensional hybrid time-path-encoded QKD system over a 52-km deployed multicore fiber link forming by looping back two cores of a 26-km 4-core optical fiber. Our results indicate that robust high-dimensional QKD can be implemented in a realistic environment by combining standard telecom equipment with emerging multicore fiber technology.

Nature Communications•Feb 23, 2024•93 citations

High-dimensional decoy-state quantum key distribution over 1.3 km of installed optical fiber.

Kei Braz Sawada

HD-QKD(high-dimensional quantum key distribution) is an alternative to two-dimensional QKD with advantages such as higher data transmission per pulse [54] and noise tolerance [13, 66]. It has been shown that MCFs (multicore fibers) are a viable platform for performing HD-QKD through phase encoding across modes of the same fiber [10]. MCFs have also gathered attention due to their increased data transmission rates and are likely to become part of classical telecom infrastructure in the future [35, 50, 14, 51]. In this thesis we report a proof-of-concept decoy-state BB84 HD-QKDexperiment with an all-fiber setup using installed 4C-MCFs (four core multicore fibers) in a realistic environment. We introduce the theory of QKDand the motivations for decoy states as well as the security bounds for systems with different dimensions. We describe the experiment in detail, including active phase stabilization, state preparation, MCF-based technologies, channels and the detection system. We report a maximum short-range key rate of 7.8 kbit/s and a maximum secure key transmission distance of 105 km, as well as a short-range stability of over 16 hours. A comparison of our experiment with several others is provided, showing that our results are comparable to other works with similar detection technology. Wealso include two papers where we used our experimental platform for experiments simulating non-Markovian noise and implementing single setting quantum state tomography, showing the flexibility of our setup and potential for further work.

•Mar 31, 2025•0 citations

Hybrid Time-Path High-Dimensional Quantum Key Distribution in Multicore Fibers: Addressing Crosstalk and Enhancing Performance Metrics

Ian Korobov, Piotr Novik, Igor Koltchanov

By exploiting the core aspects of quantum mechanics, quantum key distribution (QKD) offers a solution to the critical challenge of secure communication, facilitating the exchange of a provably secure secret key between remote parties. Despite its potential, QKD faces challenges such as low secret key rates, short propagation distances, and low noise tolerance; however, high-dimensional QKD is a promising strategy to mitigate these constraints. High-dimensional QKD extends the Hilbert space dimension beyond two by utilizing multiple degrees of freedom of the electromagnetic field. While several studies address high-dimensional QKD in multicore fibers, which provide degrees of freedom associated with a particular core choice, these works do not consider cases with significant crosstalk between cores. In this work, we present the estimated secret key rate and quantum bit error rate as functions of the parameters of a four-dimensional hybrid time-path QKD system, considering the crosstalk between cores.

International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks•Jul 6, 2025•0 citations

Quantum key distribution over multicore fiber based on silicon photonics.

Yunhong Ding, Davide Bacco, Kjeld Dalgaard +4 more

In contemporary society, communication security has become increasingly important. The security of the current cryptosystems, based on mathematical assumptions, will not be guaranteed when quantum computers become available [1]. This has spurred investigations into new security technologies based on quantum physics. In order to exchange secure information between users, quantum key distribution (QKD), a branch of Quantum Communications (QCs), provides good prospects for ultimate security based on the laws of quantum mechanics [2–7]. Most of QKD systems are implemented in a point-to-point link using bulky, discrete and expensive devices. Consequently, a large scale deployment of this technology has not been achieved. In a future scenario, where QCs will become standard technology, and where infrastructures like banks and government buildings, will be connected through a quantum network, different requirements in terms of key generation are needed. A solution may be represented by new technologies applied to quantum world. In particular multicore fiber (MCF) open a new scenario for quantum communications, from high-dimensional (HD) spatial entanglement generation, to HD QKD and multi-user key generations, to HD-entanglement distribution. Furthermore, MCFs are expected as a good candidate for overcoming the capacity limit of a current optical communication system, as example the record capacity of 661 Tbits/s was obtained last year with a 30-cores fiber [8]. Proof of concept experiment has already proved the coexistence of classical and quantum communications transmitted into different cores of MCF [9]. On the other hand, photonic integration has played a critical role in recent quantum information revolution by integrating functionalities of traditional discrete bulky components into ultra-compact chips [10, 11]. In fact, integrated photonic circuits provides excellent performances (compacts, good optical phase stability, access to new degrees of freedom), and are particularly suitable for the manipulation of quantum states. Some recent experiments have already demonstrated conventional binary QKD systems, using polarization and phase reference degrees of freedom [12, 13]. Moreover, by using integrated solution new high-dimensional quantum states can be generated and propagated. Based on compact silicon photonic integrated circuits, we here show how a MCF can be used for quantum communications protocols by proving decoy-state HD-QKD and multi-users quantum key generations.

•Jan 1, 2017•0 citations

Fiber-based higher dimensional quantum key distribution implementation using time-bin qudits

Gokul Agasthilingam, Harinee Natarajan, Varun Raghunathan

Higher Dimensional Quantum Key Distribution (HD-QKD) improves information capacity and security compared to binary QKD systems. Previous HD-QKD implementations have required d+1 (d refers to encoding dimension) single-photon detectors, limiting large-scale implementation. In contrast, another HD-QKD implementation using coherent one-way (COW) protocol hardware with two detectors achieved a secret key rate (SKR) of 155 kbps for an 8-D system and 2.7% QBER tolerance for a 16-D system with qubit scrambling across a time window. In this paper, we theoretically simulate and experimentally demonstrate time-bin encoded HD-QKD using COW protocol hardware with two single-photon detectors operating at standard telecom wavelengths, achieving a remarkable maximum encoding of 6 bits per photon (i.e., 56-d system). Our HD-QKD system incorporates a practical decoy-state technique to counter the photon number splitting attack, allowing greater flexibility in choosing higher mean photon number thereby achieving higher SKR and distances. This implementation demonstrates a remarkable ninefold increase in SKR for a 16-d system (210 kbps over 25 km of standard single-mode fiber) compared to qubit-based systems, with a QBER tolerance of 13.5% for d = 16. Notably, we achieved positive key rates for emulated loss up to 131 km of fiber length for d = 8. By optimizing detector deadtime and mean photon number using our theoretical model, we achieve enhanced key rates and security. Our findings highlight the superiority of our approach and lay the foundation for high throughput HD-QKD implementation, offering a secure and efficient method for transmitting sensitive information.

Quantum Computing, Communication, and Simulation•Mar 12, 2024•2 citations
Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides information-theoretic security rooted in quantum physics, while high-dimensional (HD) encoding increases both noise tolerance and secret-key yield. Multicore fibers (MCFs), a leading platform for next-generation telecom networks, are a natural substrate for HD-QKD. Field demonstrations over deployed MCFs have so far relied on a hybrid qudit encoding strategy that combines two path (core modes) with the time-bin photonic degree of freedom, rather than exploiting the full set of available core modes. Although practical, this approach incurs intrinsic efficiency penalties that grow with dimension. Here we implement a four-dimensional (d=4d=4d=4) QKD protocol that directly exploits the full set of core modes of a four-core MCF, operating over an installed MCF network across the Universidad de Concepción campus under continuous environmental perturbations. We further benchmark the scheme using superconducting nanowire detectors at 10 10\,10dB channel loss, achieving a composable finite-key rate of R=6.19×10−3 R = 6.19\times 10^{-3}\,R=6.19×10−3bits/pulse, the highest per-pulse rate reported to date for HD-QKD at comparable loss. This result establishes core-mode encoding as a viable architecture for realistic, high-rate quantum-secure communications.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides information-theoretic security rooted in quantum physics, while high-dimensional (HD) encoding increases both noise tolerance and secret-key yield. Multicore fibers (MCFs), a leading platform for next-generation telecom networks, are a natural substrate for HD-QKD. Field demonstrations over deployed MCFs have so far relied on a hybrid qudit encoding strategy that combines two path (core modes) with the time-bin photonic degree of freedom, rather than exploiting the full set of available core modes. Although practical, this current approach incurs intrinsic efficiency penalties that grow with dimension. Encoding a qudit in the full set of core modes removes these penalties, but it requires the coherent control of all cores at once and has so far been restricted to laboratory settings. Here we implement a four-dimensional ( d = 4 ) QKD protocol that directly exploits the full set of core modes of a four-core MCF, operating over an installed MCF network across the Universidad de Concepción campus under continuous environmental perturbations. We further benchmark the scheme using superconducting nanowire detectors at 10 dB channel loss, achieving a composable finite-key rate of R = 6.19 × 10 − 3 bits / pulse , the highest per-pulse rate reported to date for deployed HD-QKD at comparable loss. This result establishes core-mode encoding as a viable architecture for realistic, high-rate quantum-secure communications.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a secure communication scheme for sharing symmetric cryptographic keys based on the laws of quantum physics, and is considered a key player in the realm of cyber-security. A critical challenge for QKD systems comes from the fact that the ever-increasing rates at which digital data are transmitted require more and more performing sources of quantum keys, primarily in terms of secret key generation rate. High-dimensional QKD based on path encoding has been proposed as a candidate approach to address this challenge. However, while proof-of-principle demonstrations based on lab experiments have been reported in the literature, demonstrations in realistic environments are still missing. Here we report the generation of secret keys in a 4-dimensional hybrid time-path-encoded QKD system over a 52-km deployed multicore fiber link forming by looping back two cores of a 26-km 4-core optical fiber. Our results indicate that robust high-dimensional QKD can be implemented in a realistic environment by combining standard telecom equipment with emerging multicore fiber technology.
HD-QKD(high-dimensional quantum key distribution) is an alternative to two-dimensional QKD with advantages such as higher data transmission per pulse [54] and noise tolerance [13, 66]. It has been shown that MCFs (multicore fibers) are a viable platform for performing HD-QKD through phase encoding across modes of the same fiber [10]. MCFs have also gathered attention due to their increased data transmission rates and are likely to become part of classical telecom infrastructure in the future [35, 50, 14, 51]. In this thesis we report a proof-of-concept decoy-state BB84 HD-QKDexperiment with an all-fiber setup using installed 4C-MCFs (four core multicore fibers) in a realistic environment. We introduce the theory of QKDand the motivations for decoy states as well as the security bounds for systems with different dimensions. We describe the experiment in detail, including active phase stabilization, state preparation, MCF-based technologies, channels and the detection system. We report a maximum short-range key rate of 7.8 kbit/s and a maximum secure key transmission distance of 105 km, as well as a short-range stability of over 16 hours. A comparison of our experiment with several others is provided, showing that our results are comparable to other works with similar detection technology. Wealso include two papers where we used our experimental platform for experiments simulating non-Markovian noise and implementing single setting quantum state tomography, showing the flexibility of our setup and potential for further work.
By exploiting the core aspects of quantum mechanics, quantum key distribution (QKD) offers a solution to the critical challenge of secure communication, facilitating the exchange of a provably secure secret key between remote parties. Despite its potential, QKD faces challenges such as low secret key rates, short propagation distances, and low noise tolerance; however, high-dimensional QKD is a promising strategy to mitigate these constraints. High-dimensional QKD extends the Hilbert space dimension beyond two by utilizing multiple degrees of freedom of the electromagnetic field. While several studies address high-dimensional QKD in multicore fibers, which provide degrees of freedom associated with a particular core choice, these works do not consider cases with significant crosstalk between cores. In this work, we present the estimated secret key rate and quantum bit error rate as functions of the parameters of a four-dimensional hybrid time-path QKD system, considering the crosstalk between cores.
In contemporary society, communication security has become increasingly important. The security of the current cryptosystems, based on mathematical assumptions, will not be guaranteed when quantum computers become available [1]. This has spurred investigations into new security technologies based on quantum physics. In order to exchange secure information between users, quantum key distribution (QKD), a branch of Quantum Communications (QCs), provides good prospects for ultimate security based on the laws of quantum mechanics [2–7]. Most of QKD systems are implemented in a point-to-point link using bulky, discrete and expensive devices. Consequently, a large scale deployment of this technology has not been achieved. In a future scenario, where QCs will become standard technology, and where infrastructures like banks and government buildings, will be connected through a quantum network, different requirements in terms of key generation are needed. A solution may be represented by new technologies applied to quantum world. In particular multicore fiber (MCF) open a new scenario for quantum communications, from high-dimensional (HD) spatial entanglement generation, to HD QKD and multi-user key generations, to HD-entanglement distribution. Furthermore, MCFs are expected as a good candidate for overcoming the capacity limit of a current optical communication system, as example the record capacity of 661 Tbits/s was obtained last year with a 30-cores fiber [8]. Proof of concept experiment has already proved the coexistence of classical and quantum communications transmitted into different cores of MCF [9]. On the other hand, photonic integration has played a critical role in recent quantum information revolution by integrating functionalities of traditional discrete bulky components into ultra-compact chips [10, 11]. In fact, integrated photonic circuits provides excellent performances (compacts, good optical phase stability, access to new degrees of freedom), and are particularly suitable for the manipulation of quantum states. Some recent experiments have already demonstrated conventional binary QKD systems, using polarization and phase reference degrees of freedom [12, 13]. Moreover, by using integrated solution new high-dimensional quantum states can be generated and propagated. Based on compact silicon photonic integrated circuits, we here show how a MCF can be used for quantum communications protocols by proving decoy-state HD-QKD and multi-users quantum key generations.
Higher Dimensional Quantum Key Distribution (HD-QKD) improves information capacity and security compared to binary QKD systems. Previous HD-QKD implementations have required d+1 (d refers to encoding dimension) single-photon detectors, limiting large-scale implementation. In contrast, another HD-QKD implementation using coherent one-way (COW) protocol hardware with two detectors achieved a secret key rate (SKR) of 155 kbps for an 8-D system and 2.7% QBER tolerance for a 16-D system with qubit scrambling across a time window. In this paper, we theoretically simulate and experimentally demonstrate time-bin encoded HD-QKD using COW protocol hardware with two single-photon detectors operating at standard telecom wavelengths, achieving a remarkable maximum encoding of 6 bits per photon (i.e., 56-d system). Our HD-QKD system incorporates a practical decoy-state technique to counter the photon number splitting attack, allowing greater flexibility in choosing higher mean photon number thereby achieving higher SKR and distances. This implementation demonstrates a remarkable ninefold increase in SKR for a 16-d system (210 kbps over 25 km of standard single-mode fiber) compared to qubit-based systems, with a QBER tolerance of 13.5% for d = 16. Notably, we achieved positive key rates for emulated loss up to 131 km of fiber length for d = 8. By optimizing detector deadtime and mean photon number using our theoretical model, we achieve enhanced key rates and security. Our findings highlight the superiority of our approach and lay the foundation for high throughput HD-QKD implementation, offering a secure and efficient method for transmitting sensitive information.