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Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology

High Speed Quantum Key Distribution Over Optical Fiber Network System

Lijun Mink, Xiao Tang

Published May 1, 2009• 14 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a number of complete fiber-based high-speed quantum key distribution (QKD) systems that includes an 850 nm QKD system for a local area network (LAN), a 1310 nm QKD system for a metropolitan area network (MAN), and a 3-node quantum network controlled by a network manager. This paper discusses the key techniques used to implement these systems, which include polarization recovery, noise reduction, frequency up-conversion detection based on a periodically polled lithium nitrate (PPLN) waveguide, custom high-speed data handling boards and quantum network management. Using our quantum network, a QKD secured video surveillance application has been demonstrated. Our intention is to show the feasibility and sophistication of QKD systems based on current technology.

DOI
10.6028/jres.114.010

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The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a number of complete fiber-based high-speed quantum key distribution (QKD) systems that includes an 850 nm QKD system for a local area network (LAN), a 1310 nm QKD system for a metropolitan area network (MAN), and a 3-node quantum network controlled by a network manager. This paper discusses the key techniques used to implement these systems, which include polarization recovery, noise reduction, frequency up-conversion detection based on a periodically polled lithium nitrate (PPLN) waveguide, custom high-speed data handling boards and quantum network management. Using our quantum network, a QKD secured video surveillance application has been demonstrated. Our intention is to show the feasibility and sophistication of QKD systems based on current technology.
We have implemented a quantum key distribution (QKD) system with polarization encoding at 850 nm over 1 km of optical fiber. The high-speed management of the bit-stream, generation of random numbers and processing of the sifting algorithm are all handled by a pair of custom data handling circuit boards. As a complete system using a clock rate of 1.25 Gbit/s, it produces sifted keys at a rate of 1.1 Mb/s with an error rate lower than 1.3% while operating at a transmission rate of 312.5 Mbit/s and a mean photon number μ = 0.1. With a number of proposed improvements this system has a potential for a higher key rate without an elevated error rate.
A complete fiber-based polarization encoding quantum key distribution (QKD) system based on the BB84 protocol has been developed at National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST). The system can be operated at a sifted key rate of more than 4 Mbit/s over optical fiber of length 1 km and mean photon number 0.1. The quantum channel uses 850 nm photons from attenuated high speed VCSELs and the classical channel uses 1550 nm light from normal commercial coarse wavelength division multiplexing devices. Sifted-key rates and quantum error rates at different transmission rates are measured as a function of distance (fiber length). A polarization auto-compensation module has been developed and utilized to recover the polarization state and to compensate for temporal drift. An automatic timing alignment device has also been developed to quickly handle the initial configuration of quantum channels so that detection events fall into the correct timing window. These automated functions make the system more practical for integration into existing optical local area networks.
NIST has developed a high-speed quantum key distribution (QKD) test bed incorporating both free-space and fiber systems. These systems demonstrate a major increase in the attainable rate of QKD systems: over two orders of magnitude faster than other systems. NIST's approach to high-speed QKD is based on a synchronous model with hardware support. Practical one-time pad encryption requires high key generation rates since one bit of key is needed for each bit of data to be encrypted. A one-time pad encrypted surveillance video application was developed and serves as a demonstration of the speed, robustness and sustainability of the NIST QKD systems. We discuss our infrastructure, both hardware and software, its operation and performance along with our migration to quantum networks.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is a technique for sharing encryption keys between two adjacent nodes. It provides unconditional secure communication based on the laws of physics. From the viewpoint of network research, QKD is considered to be a component for providing secure communication in network systems. A QKD network enables each node to exchange encryption keys with arbitrary nodes. However previous research did not focus on the processing speed of the key management method essential for a QKD network. This paper focuses on the key management method assuming a high-speed QKD system for which we clarify the design, propose a high-speed method, and evaluate the throughput. The proposed method consists of four modules: (1) local key manager handling the keys generated by QKD, (2) one-time pad tunnel manager establishing the transparent encryption link, (3) global key manager generating the keys for application communication, and (4) web API providing keys to the application. The proposed method was implemented in software and evaluated by emulating QKD key generation and application key consumption. The evaluation result reveals that it is capable of handling the encryption keys at a speed of 414 Mb/s, 185 Mb/s, 85 Mb/s and 971 Mb/s, for local key manager, one-time pad tunnel manager, global key manager and web API, respectively. These are sufficient for integration with a high-speed QKD system. Furthermore, the method allows the high-speed QKD system consisting of two nodes to expand corresponding to the size of the QKD network without losing the speed advantage.
Continuing efforts have been made to develop practical quantum key distribution (QKD) systems on the installed fiber networks since early 2000s [1]. Recently, several groups have demonstrated high-speed QKD systems [2,3] with GHz-clock frequency working stably on the installed-fiber networks [4-7]. Along with the hardware development, an efficient key management protocol [7] has been implemented to construct a QKD platform to supply information-theoretically secure key for multiple applications. The highly available QKD platform is expected to promote social deployment of the QKD technology.
A novel, user-friendly quantum key distribution (QKD) system operating at a wavelength of 1550nm and at a clock rate of 10MHz was constructed to explore the compatibility of this emerging technology with the optical fiber network environment. Custom circuit boards providing the low-level control and sensing functions for both the transmitter and receiver were developed, allowing software-based system reconfiguration via USB interface to personal computers. The computer control allowed the user to change operating parameters such as detector bias voltages and pulse delays and also allowed for self-tuning of the system. Epitaxx avalanche photodiodes, operated in Geiger mode, were used to detect the single photons. A complete QKD protocol stack incorporating the sifting, reconciliation, privacy amplification, authentication and key confirmation functions was implemented in software. The system was tested over twenty five kilometers of dark underground fiber, producing 18.6 million sifted bits, with a sifted bit error rate of 4.9% at an average number of photons per pulse of 0.2, during a continuous 12-hour period of self-sustaining operation: a small portion of the secret bits distilled from each session's sifted bits were used to authenticate the next session. A total of 6.8 million shared secret bits were produced.