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IEEE Photonics Conference

Record-High Secret Key Rate for Joint Classical and Quantum Transmission Over a 37-Core Fiber

Beatrice Da Lio, Davide Bacco, Daniele Cozzolino, Francesco Da Ros, Xueshi Guo, Yunhong Ding, Y. Sasaki, Kazuhiko Aikawa, Shigehito Miki, Hirotaka Terai, Taro Yamashita, Jonas Schou Neergaard-Nielsen, Michael Galili, Karsten K. Rottwitt, Ulrik L. Andersen, Leif Katsuo Oxenløwe, Toshio Morioka

Published Sep 1, 2018• 29 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We overcome the low secret key rates of current quantum communication systems using space division multiplexing in a heterogeneous 37-core fiber. We demonstrate record-high rates of 107 Mb/s for the quantum channel alone and of 65 Mb/s when co-propagating with 370 Gb/s classical data.
DOI
10.1109/ipcon.2018.8527341

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Quantum key distribution (QKD) guarantees unconditional security and has thus been intensely studied both from a theoretical and an experimental point of view [1]. However, limitations due to transmission loss and noise are still detrimental for these systems performance in terms of reachable distance and key rates, having so far confined QKD implementations to the use of dedicated channels and hence reduced a successful integration with the classical network, with few exceptions [2–6]. In this work we demonstrate a step forward in the co-existence of QKD with classical bright signals, exploiting a 7.9-km long 37-core heterogeneous multicore fiber (MCF) [7], and a space division multiplexing (SDM) technique to achieve a total of 87 Mbit/s secret key generation rate (SKR) in the finite key scenario with a simultaneous co-propagating classical signal of 10 Gbit/s.
Abstract During the last 20 years, the advance of communication technologies has generated multiple exciting applications. However, classical cryptography, commonly adopted to secure current communication systems, can be jeopardised by the advent of quantum computers. Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a promising technology aiming to solve such a security problem. Unfortunately, current implementations of QKD systems show relatively low key rates, demand low channel noise and use ad hoc devices. In this work, we picture how to overcome the rate limitation by using a 37-core fibre to generate 2.86 Mbit s −1 per core that can be space multiplexed into the highest secret key rate of 105.7 Mbit s −1 to date. We also demonstrate, with off-the-shelf equipment, the robustness of the system by co-propagating a classical signal at 370 Gbit s −1{}^{-1}−1 − 1 , paving the way for a shared quantum and classical communication network.
Quantum key distribution has shown promising advances in information transmission security. In particular, quantum communication schemes based on entanglement have enormous potential to enhance the security and efficiency of information transmission. Therefore, today’s efforts address overcoming issues related to high data transmission and long-distance implementations to enable real-world quantum communication applications. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a multiplexing technique to enhance the secret key rate by exploiting the momentum correlation of photon pairs generated by spontaneous parametric downconversion. We distributed polarization-entangled photon pairs into opposite cores within a 19-core multicore fiber. We estimated the secret key rates in a configuration with 6 and 12 cores from the entanglement visibility after transmission through a 411-m-long multicore fiber. Our results can lead to the transmission of more information per photon and the establishment of novel quantum networks with one common communication channel, which opens the possibility of deploying new quantum channels over longer distances.
Quantum key distribution protocols are easily the most advanced quantum information technology up to date, driving the whole field of quantum communications towards actual systems implementations and flourishing theoretical advances and experimental demonstrations. Exploiting the consolidated telecommunications industry knowledge, optimized equipment and already existing broad infrastructure, fiber-based quantum key distribution schemes are in particular a promising direction in which the scientific research efforts are addressed, for the final goal of building a quantum network. However, three main challenges are still preventing the large-scale industrial deployment of fiber-based quantum key distribution schemes: the limited achievable secret key generation rate, when compared to those reached by classical communications; the bounded propagation distances, due to intrinsic channel losses; and the struggle of the integration with classical data rates, which are additional sources of noise from the point of view of a quantum channel. During my Ph.D., we have focused on two of these problems, proposing new efficient designs for fiber-based high-dimensional protocols and space division multiplexing schemes to increase the secret key rate of quantum systems, and investigating the optimization of wavelength multiplexing setups for the integration with classical communications.