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Fiber based high-dimensional quantum communication with twisted photons

Daniele Cozzolino, Davide Bacco, Beatrice Da Lio, Kasper Ingerslev, Yunhong Ding, Kjeld Dalgaard, Poul Kristensen, Michael Galili, Karsten K. Rottwitt, Siddharth Ramachandran, Leif Katsuo Oxenløwe

Published Mar 27, 2018• 5 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Quantum communication (QC) concerns the faithful transmission of quantum states between separated parties, and represents a key enabler for many quantum applications, ranging from quantum key distribution (QKD) to distributed quantum computing. However, low information rates and short propagation distances, due to high channel losses and perturbations of the quantum states, limit the development of this field and its practical applications. High-dimensional (Hi-D) quantum communication can address these challenges by adding more information per photon, directly enhancing the information rate and the system's error tolerance. We transmit Hi-D quantum states using photons prepared in four orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes in a 1.2 km long OAM-carrying fiber. This is the first experimental demonstration of Hi-D quantum states transmission using the OAM basis over an optical fiber. Furthermore, we successfully implement a real-time decoy-state Hi-D QKD protocol, and demonstrate the highest secret key rate and longest transmission distance of OAM-QKD presented to date.

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Quantum communication (QC) concerns the faithful transmission of quantum states between separated parties, and represents a key enabler for many quantum applications, ranging from quantum key distribution (QKD) to distributed quantum computing. However, low information rates and short propagation distances, due to high channel losses and perturbations of the quantum states, limit the development of this field and its practical applications. High-dimensional (Hi-D) quantum communication can address these challenges by adding more information per photon, directly enhancing the information rate and the system's error tolerance. We transmit Hi-D quantum states using photons prepared in four orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes in a 1.2 km long OAM-carrying fiber. This is the first experimental demonstration of Hi-D quantum states transmission using the OAM basis over an optical fiber. Furthermore, we successfully implement a real-time decoy-state Hi-D QKD protocol, and demonstrate the highest secret key rate and longest transmission distance of OAM-QKD presented to date.
Quantum communication (QC) represents a key enabler for many quantum applications. However, low information rates and short propagation distances, limit the development of this field and its practical applications. High-dimensional (Hi-D) QC can address these challenges enhancing the information rate and the systems error tolerance. We report our recent results on Hi-D quantum communication where we prove the capability of preparing, manipulating, transmitting and measuring Hi-D quantum states through multi-core and multimode fiber.
Going beyond two-state qubits, $q\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}u\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}d\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}i\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}t\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}s$ based on quantum states of high dimension constitute a rich resource in quantum information, and their exploitation will play a prominent role in next-generation technologies. Generation and manipulation of qudits have improved strongly over the last decades; their reliable transmission between remote locations remains the central challenge. The authors use an air-core fiber supporting orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes to faithfully transmit qudits. Four OAM quantum states and their superpositions are created, propagated over a 1.2-km fiber, and detected. Moreover, three quantum-key-distribution protocols are implemented.
Multiplexing is a strategy to augment the transmission capacity of a communication system. It consists of combining multiple signals over the same data channel and it has been very successful in classical communications. However, the use of enhanced channels has only reached limited practicality in quantum communications (QC) as it requires the manipulation of quantum systems of higher dimensions. Considerable effort is being made towards QC using high-dimensional quantum systems encoded into the transverse momentum of single photons, but so far no approach has been proven to be fully compatible with the existing telecommunication fibers. Here we overcome such a challenge and demonstrate a secure high-dimensional decoy-state quantum key distribution session over a 300-m-long multicore optical fiber. The high-dimensional quantum states are defined in terms of the transverse core modes available for the photon transmission over the fiber, and theoretical analyses show that positive secret key rates can be achieved through metropolitan distances.
Orbital angular momentum (OAM) of photons provides a promising approach to enhance the capacity, robustness, and functionality of quantum communication systems in optical fibers. With many twist states available, OAM enables high-dimensional encoding, significantly increasing data rates and noise tolerance. This review explores sources, channels, and system architectures for OAM-based quantum communication in fibers. It compares free-space and integrated emitters, discussing in-fiber pair generation and mode conversion pathways that produce fiber-ready single photons and entangled states. For the channels, it details design principles and trade-offs for step-index and ring-core fibers that minimize intermodal coupling and reviews milestones in kilometer-scale single-photon transmission and high-dimensional entanglement transport. On the system side, the review examines coupling, multiplexing, and detection techniques—including mode (de)multiplexers, lanterns, and programmable sorters—and discusses transmission-matrix-based control methods to mitigate dispersion and bending effects. The review concludes with practical guidance and open challenges, such as improving mode selectivity and stability under real-world conditions; developing compact, efficient detectors for many modes; and integrating co-designed error correction schemes. These directions aim to bridge laboratory demonstrations with the deployment of scalable, high-dimensional fiber networks that harness OAM to significantly boost capacity, resilience, and functionality.