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Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE

Dual-port polarization mode dispersion free phase modulator for quantum key distribution

Chunyuan Zhou, Heping Zeng

Published Aug 30, 2002• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Polarization Mode dispersion (PMD) in single-mode fibers is a common source of problems in quantum key distribution (QKD) as well as all optical communication. Donald S. Bethune and William P. Risk developed a PMD-free phase modulator which is a single port component. We found that it is also necessary to construct a dual-port component. In this report, we demonstrate how PMD affects our single-photon interference experiment, and give a proposal on developing a dual-port PMD-free integrated phase modulator. This new component can be used in QKD as well as in other optical fiber communication schemes. And it will make long-distance information exchange more stable and effective.

DOI
10.1117/12.481042

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Polarization Mode dispersion (PMD) in single-mode fibers is a common source of problems in quantum key distribution (QKD) as well as all optical communication. Donald S. Bethune and William P. Risk developed a PMD-free phase modulator which is a single port component. We found that it is also necessary to construct a dual-port component. In this report, we demonstrate how PMD affects our single-photon interference experiment, and give a proposal on developing a dual-port PMD-free integrated phase modulator. This new component can be used in QKD as well as in other optical fiber communication schemes. And it will make long-distance information exchange more stable and effective.
Affected by PMD(Polarization Mode Dispersion),the polarization state of the single photon will be randomly and slowly altered during the transmission in the fiber.This increases the error probability at the receiving end.So a means for measuring the variance to the preprocess polarization state is required for the distribution of the quantum key.A sensor with balanced detection is introduced to the BB84 protocol and the theoretical model of the QBER(Quantum Bit Error Rate) is established with POVM(Positive Operator Valued Measurement).The variance of the polarization state is measured with the Wollaston prism and the error is eliminated for the dual channel.The angle tolerance of the Wollaston prism is 0.1° and the numerical analysis by the use of the QBER model shows the new protocol decreases the error rate to 3.05×10-6.
The polarization mode dispersion (PMD) in optical fibers poses a major challenge for maintaining the fidelity of quantum states for quantum communications. In this work, a comprehensive model linking the probability of quantum measurement errors (infidelity) to PMD is developed and validated by experimental measurements of differential group delay and quantum bit error rate (QBER). Our research proposes effective methods to mitigate PMD effects for broadband entangled photons and evaluates the impact of higher-order PMD effects. The model provides an experimentally verified framework for the optimization of commercial quantum key distribution systems in deployed fiber-optic lines.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is on the brink of being deployed on a large scale. For a successful launch it is important though, that QKD devices can be incorporated into or use existing telecom networks. Although not at telecom wavelengths, QKD based on polarization entanglement has already been shown over 1.4 km outside the laboratory. However, it was thought that dispersion effects, mainly polarization mode dispersion (PMD), in optical fibers will limit the use of polarization entanglement for longer distances. We report the distribution of quantum correlations over a record length of 100 km in telecom fibers with such a high quality that it would be possible to extract a secret key without background subtraction.
The implementation of quantum communication protocols in long optical fibers is limited by several decoherence mechanisms. In this contribution we review this mechanisms and analysis their effect on the quantum states. Because of asymmetry in the real fibers, the two orthogonal polarization modes are propagated at different phase and group velocities. The difference in group velocities results in Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD). It is created by random fluctuations of the residual birefringence in optical fibers, such that the State of Polarization (SOP) of an optical signal will turn randomly over time, in an unpredictable way. In optical quantum communication, quantum state measurement is necessary. The bottleneck for communication between far apart nodes is the increasing of the error probability with the length of the channel connecting the nodes. For an optical fiber, the value of absorption and depolarization of a photon (i.e., the qubit) increases exponentially with the length of the fiber.
We present a new optical scheme for BB84 protocol quantum key distribution (QKD). The proposed setup consists of a compact all-fiber polarization encoding optical scheme based on LiNbO3 phase modulators, single laser source and two single-photon detectors. Optical scheme consists of standard telecommunication components and is suitable for both fiber and free-space quantum communication channels. Low losses (~2dB) in Bob's device increase both the key generation rate and distance limit. A new technique for solving polarization mode dispersion (PMD) issue in LiNbO3 is implemented, allowing two crystals to neutralize the effect of each other. Several proof-of-concept experiments have been conducted at 10 MHz repetition frequency over 50 km of standard optical fiber under laboratory conditions and over 30 km of urban fiber with high losses (13dB), which is a link within a QKD network. To achieve this, calibration algorithms have been developed, allowing the system to work autonomously and making it promising for practical applications.
Abstract We demonstrate a free-space quantum key distribution (QKD) system based on phase-time encoding by reconfiguring a commercially available fiber-based QKD platform. The main goal of this work is to develop a free-space QKD system with minimal modifications, primarily through the implementation of a free-space multi-mode (MM) delay interferometer at the receiver. The use of a MM interferometer is crucial for enabling phase encoding over atmospheric channels, where direct coupling into single-mode fibers suffers from prohibitive losses due to atmospheric turbulence and beam distortions. We review existing methods for detecting spatially distorted quantum states, propose technological improvements, and experimentally evaluate several interferometer designs. A free-space MM Michelson interferometer with polarization routing is identified as the optimal solution, offering high interference visibility, low loss, and ease of integration into the system. A laboratory QKD experiment conducted with the modified system achieved a quantum bit error rate of 4.5% and a stable secret key rate of hundreds bit s−1, demonstrating the feasibility of secure key distribution over free-space links using adapted fiber-based technology. Detailed theoretical and experimental studies of chromatic and modal dispersion effects confirm that their impact can be effectively managed. This approach provides a practical and scalable route for extending quantum-secure communications into scenarios where optical fiber deployment is impractical or impossible.