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DARPA Quantum Network Testbed

Chip Elliott, Henry Yeh

Published Jul 1, 2007• 33 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

BBN has designed and built the world's first Quantum Network testbed, delivering end-to-end network security via high-speed Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), and testing that Network against sophisticated eavesdropping attacks. BBN has fielded this ultrahigh-security network into commercial fiber across the metro Boston area. BBN's QKD network comprises 10 nodes. It is both extremely secure and 100% compatible with today's Internet technology. Four of the 10 nodes are running 24x7 over Boston metro telecom fiber between BBN, BU and Harvard and protecting Internet traffic; four other nodes are free-space; and two are based on polarization entanglement through fiber. BBN also teamed with NIST & University of Rochester to build the first superconducting single-photon detector. It saw first light in 2005. We characterized our prototype detector at temperatures ranging from 2K to 4K and expect to operate a full detector suite in early 2006 at speed up to 100MHz (20x faster than any existing detector). BBN also collaborated with MIT to build the world's first experimental demonstration of Eve, a quantum eavesdropper. The results were published in Summer 2006.

Related papers

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BBN, Harvard, and Boston University are building the DARPA Quantum Network, the world's first network that delivers end-to-end network security via high-speed Quantum Key Distribution, and testing that Network against sophisticated eavesdropping attacks. The first network link has been up and steadily operational in our laboratory since December 2002. It provides a Virtual Private Network between private enclaves, with user traffic protected by a weak-coherent implementation of quantum cryptography. This prototype is suitable for deployment in metro-size areas via standard telecom (dark) fiber. In this paper, we introduce quantum cryptography, discuss its relation to modern secure networks, and describe its unusual physical layer, its specialized quantum cryptographic protocol suite (quite interesting in its own right), and our extensions to IPsec to integrate it with quantum cryptography.

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Chip Elliott, David Pearson, Gregory D. Troxel

BBN, Harvard, and Boston University are building the DARPA Quantum Network, the world's first network that delivers end-to-end network security via high-speed Quantum Key Distribution, and testing that Network against sophisticated eavesdropping attacks. The first network link has been up and steadily operational in our laboratory since December 2002. It provides a Virtual Private Network between private enclaves, with user traffic protected by a weak-coherent implementation of quantum cryptography. This prototype is suitable for deployment in metro-size areas via standard telecom (dark) fiber. In this paper, we introduce quantum cryptography, discuss its relation to modern secure networks, and describe its unusual physical layer, its specialized quantum cryptographic protocol suite (quite interesting in its own right), and our extensions to IPsec to integrate it with quantum cryptography.

ACM SIGCOMM Conference (SIGCOMM)•Jan 1, 2003•25 citations
BBN has designed and built the world's first Quantum Network testbed, delivering end-to-end network security via high-speed Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), and testing that Network against sophisticated eavesdropping attacks. BBN has fielded this ultrahigh-security network into commercial fiber across the metro Boston area. BBN's QKD network comprises 10 nodes. It is both extremely secure and 100% compatible with today's Internet technology. Four of the 10 nodes are running 24x7 over Boston metro telecom fiber between BBN, BU and Harvard and protecting Internet traffic; four other nodes are free-space; and two are based on polarization entanglement through fiber. BBN also teamed with NIST & University of Rochester to build the first superconducting single-photon detector. It saw first light in 2005. We characterized our prototype detector at temperatures ranging from 2K to 4K and expect to operate a full detector suite in early 2006 at speed up to 100MHz (20x faster than any existing detector). BBN also collaborated with MIT to build the world's first experimental demonstration of Eve, a quantum eavesdropper. The results were published in Summer 2006.
BBN, Harvard, and Boston University are building the DARPA Quantum Network, the world's first network that delivers end-to-end network security via high-speed Quantum Key Distribution, and testing that Network against sophisticated eavesdropping attacks. The first network link has been up and steadily operational in our laboratory since December 2002. It provides a Virtual Private Network between private enclaves, with user traffic protected by a weak-coherent implementation of quantum cryptography. This prototype is suitable for deployment in metro-size areas via standard telecom (dark) fiber. In this paper, we introduce quantum cryptography, discuss its relation to modern secure networks, and describe its unusual physical layer, its specialized quantum cryptographic protocol suite (quite interesting in its own right), and our extensions to IPsec to integrate it with quantum cryptography.
A team from BBN Technologies, Boston University, and Harvard University has recently built and begun to operate the world's first Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)network under DARPA sponsorship. The DARPA Quantum Network became fully operational on October 23, 2003 in BBN's laboratories, and in June 2004 was fielded through dark fiber under the streets of Cambridge, Mass., to link our campuses with non-stop quantum cryptography, twenty-four hours per day. As of December 2004, it consists of six nodes. Four are 5 MHz, BBN-built BB84 systems designed for telecommunications fiber and inter-connected by a photonic switch. Two are the electronics subsystems for a high speed free-space system designed and built by NIST. This paper describes the motivation for our work, the current status of the DARPA Quantum Network, its unique optical switching and key relay protocols, and our future plans.
A team from BBN Technologies, Boston University, and Harvard University has recently built and begun to operate the world's first Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)network under DARPA sponsorship. The DARPA Quantum Network became fully operational on October 23, 2003 in BBN's laboratories, and in June 2004 was fielded through dark fiber under the streets of Cambridge, Mass., to link our campuses with non-stop quantum cryptography, twenty-four hours per day. As of December 2004, it consists of six nodes. Four are 5 MHz, BBN-built BB84 systems designed for telecommunications fiber and inter-connected by a photonic switch. Two are the electronics subsystems for a high speed free-space system designed and built by NIST. This paper describes the motivation for our work, the current status of the DARPA Quantum Network, its unique optical switching and key relay protocols, and our future plans.
BBN, Harvard, and Boston University are building the DARPA Quantum Network, the world‘s first network that delivers endto -end network security via high-speed Quantum Key Distribution, and testing that Network against sophisticated eavesdropping attacks. Thefirst network link has been up and steadily operational in our laboratory since December 2002. It provides a Virtual Private Network betweenprivate enclaves, with user traffic protected by a weak-coherent implementation of quantum cryptography. This prototype is suitable fordeployment in metro-size areas via standard telecom (dark) fiber. In this paper, we introduce quantum cryptography, discuss its relation tomodern secure networks, and describe its unusual physical layer, its specialized quantum cryptographic protocol suite (quite interesting in itsown right), and our extensions to IPsec to integrate it with quantum cryptography. Keywords: Quantum cryptography. Quantum cryptography, quantum key distribution, secure networks, cryptographic protocols, keyagreement protocols, error correction, privacy amplification, IPsec.
BBN, Harvard, and Boston University are building the DARPA Quantum Network, the world's first network that delivers end-to-end network security via high-speed Quantum Key Distribution, and testing that Network against sophisticated eavesdropping attacks. The first network link has been up and steadily operational in our laboratory since December 2002. It provides a Virtual Private Network between private enclaves, with user traffic protected by a weak-coherent implementation of quantum cryptography. This prototype is suitable for deployment in metro-size areas via standard telecom (dark) fiber. In this paper, we introduce quantum cryptography, discuss its relation to modern secure networks, and describe its unusual physical layer, its specialized quantum cryptographic protocol suite (quite interesting in its own right), and our extensions to IPsec to integrate it with quantum cryptography.
BBN, Harvard, and Boston University are building the DARPA Quantum Network, the world's first network that delivers end-to-end network security via high-speed Quantum Key Distribution, and testing that Network against sophisticated eavesdropping attacks. The first network link has been up and steadily operational in our laboratory since December 2002. It provides a Virtual Private Network between private enclaves, with user traffic protected by a weak-coherent implementation of quantum cryptography. This prototype is suitable for deployment in metro-size areas via standard telecom (dark) fiber. In this paper, we introduce quantum cryptography, discuss its relation to modern secure networks, and describe its unusual physical layer, its specialized quantum cryptographic protocol suite (quite interesting in its own right), and our extensions to IPsec to integrate it with quantum cryptography.