Development of photon detectors for high-speed quantum key distribution

Daniel J. Rogers, Joshua C. Bienfang, Anastase Nakassis +1 more

秦晓娟 Qin Xiaojuan, 史信荣 Shi Xinrong, 王金东 Wang Jindong +1 more

Yue-Meng Chi

We developed a high speed homodyne detector in the telecommunication wavelength region for a Gaussian-modulated coherent-state quantum key distribution experiment. We are able to achieve a 100 MHz bandwidth, ultra-low electronic noise and pulse-resolved homodyne detector. The bandwidth of this homodyne detector has reached the same order of magnitude of the best homodyne detectors reported. By overcoming photodiode response functions mismatch, choosing proper laser sources, ensuring the homodyne detector linearity and stabilizing the homodyne detection system, we demonstrate that the homodyne detector has a 10 dB shot-noise-to-electronic-noise ratio in the time domain at a local oscillator of 5.4*10^8 photons/pulse at a laser repetition rate of 10 MHz. With this homodyne detector, we expect to ncrease our GMCS QKD experiment speed by 100 times, which will improve the key generation rate by 1-2 orders of magnitude.

Xiao-Lei Liang, Jian-Hong Liu, Quan Wang +6 more

InGaAs/InP single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) working in the regime of GHz clock rates are crucial components for the high-speed quantum key distribution (QKD). We have developed for the first time a compact, stable, and user-friendly tabletop InGaAs/InP single-photon detector system operating at a 1.25 GHz gate rate that fully integrates functions for controlling and optimizing SPAD performance. We characterize the key parameters of the detector system and test the long-term stability of the system for continuous operation of 75 h. The detector system can substantially enhance QKD performance and our present work paves the way for practical high-speed QKD applications.

Shuichiro Inoue, Naoto Namekata

修一郎 井上, 直人 行方