Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Communications in Theoretical Physics

Photon subtraction-based continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with discrete modulation over a fiber-to-water channel

Chao Yu, Yin Li, Jianzhi Ding, Yun Jie Mao, Ying Guo

Published Feb 9, 2022• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract We propose a discrete-modulated continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution protocol over a fiber-to-water channel. Different from optical fibers, the underwater channel has more severe optical attenuation because of optical absorption and scattering, which reduces the maximum communication distance. To enhance the performance of the protocol, the photon subtraction operation is implemented at the modulator side. We carry out a performance simulation in two different kinds of seawater channel, and the result shows that the scheme with photon subtraction has a longer secure communication distance under certain conditions.

DOI
10.1088/1572-9494/ac5320

Related papers

Performance Improvement of Underwater Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution via Photon Subtraction

Qingquan Peng, Guojun Chen, Xuan Li +2 more

Considering the ocean water’s optical attenuation is significantly larger than that of Fiber Channel, we propose an approach to enhance the security of underwater continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD). In particular, the photon subtraction operation is performed at the emitter to enhance quantum entanglement, thereby improving the underwater transmission performance of the CVQKD. Simulation results show that the photon subtraction operation can effectively improve the performance of CVQKD in terms of underwater transmission distance. We also compare the performance of the proposed protocol in different water qualities, which shows the advantage of our protocol against water deterioration. Therefore, we provide a suitable scheme for establishing secure communication between submarine and submarine vehicles.

Entropy•Oct 17, 2019•21 citations

Security Analysis of Discrete-Modulated Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution over Seawater Channel

Xinchao Ruan, Hang Zhang, Wei Zhao +3 more

We investigate the optical absorption and scattering properties of four different kinds of seawater as the quantum channel. The models of discrete-modulated continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) in free-space seawater channel are briefly described, and the performance of the four-state protocol and the eight-state protocol in asymptotic and finite-size cases is analyzed in detail. Simulation results illustrate that the more complex is the seawater composition, the worse is the performance of the protocol. For different types of seawater channels, we can improve the performance of the protocol by selecting different optimal modulation variances and controlling the extra noise on the channel. Besides, we can find that the performance of the eight-state protocol is better than that of the four-state protocol, and there is little difference between homodyne detection and heterodyne detection. Although the secret key rate of the protocol that we propose is still relatively low and the maximum transmission distance is only a few hundred meters, the research on CV-QKD over the seawater channel is of great significance, which provides a new idea for the construction of global secure communication network.

Applied Sciences•Nov 18, 2019•16 citations

Security Simulation of Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution over Air-to-Water Channel Using Monte Carlo Method

Cailang Xie, Ying Guo, Yi-Jun Wang +2 more

Considering the ocean water’s optical attenuation and the roughness of the sea surface, we analyze the security of continuous-variable (CV) quantum key distribution (QKD) based air-to-water channel. The effects of the absorption and scattering on the transmittance of underwater quantum channel and the maximum secure transmission distance are studied. Considering the roughness of the sea surface, we simulate the performance bounds of CV QKD with different wind speeds using the Monte Carlo method. The results show that even if the secret key rate gradually reduces as the wind speed increases, the maximum transmission distance will not be affected obviously. Compared to the works regarding short-distance underwater optical communication, our research represents a significant step towards establishing secure communication between air platform and submarine vehicle .

Chinese Physics Letters•Sep 1, 2018•14 citations

Underwater quantum key distribution with continuous-variable via photon additions

Jiali Huang, Wei Ye, Cunjin Liu +2 more

Quantum key distribution with continuous-variable (CVQKD) provides an alternative way for the security improvement of underwater optical communication, but facing into the awkward situation of short distance. For this reason, here we exploit photon addition operation at the emitter into enhancing the performance of underwater CVQKD. Based on numerical simulation, it is shown that applying photon-addition non-Gaussian operation between entangled resource and the sender can further enhance both the secure key rate and the transmission distance, compared to apply photon subtraction operation between entangled resource and the receiver. In addition, the influence of seawater quality factors in underwater CVQKD system is also considered, so as to provide technical support for underwater safety communication.

Results in Physics•Oct 31, 2023•6 citations

Photon Subtraction-Induced Plug-and-Play Scheme for Enhancing Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution with Discrete Modulation

Chao Yu, Shanhua Zou, Yun Jie Mao +1 more

Establishing high-rate secure communications is a potential application of continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) but still challenging for the long-distance transmission technology compatible with modern optical communication systems. Here, we propose a photon subtraction-induced plug-and-play scheme for enhancing CVQKD with discrete-modulation (DM), avoiding the traditional loopholes opened by the transmission of local oscillator. A photon subtraction operation is involved in the plug-and-play scheme for detection while resisting the extra untrusted source noise of the DM-CVQKD system. We analyze the relationship between secret key rate, channel losses, and untrusted source noise. The simulation result shows that the photon-subtracted scheme enhances the performance in terms of the maximal transmission distance and make up for the deficiency of the original system effectively. Furthermore, we demonstrate the influence of finite-size effect on the secret key rate which is close to the practical implementation.

Applied Sciences•Jun 17, 2020•2 citations

Improving Underwater Continuous-Variable Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution via Zero-Photon Catalysis

Yuang Wang, Shanhua Zou, Yun Jie Mao +1 more

Underwater quantumkey distribution (QKD) is tough but important formodern underwater communications in an insecure environment. It can guarantee secure underwater communication between submarines and enhance safety for critical network nodes. To enhance the performance of continuous-variable quantumkey distribution (CVQKD) underwater in terms ofmaximal transmission distance and secret key rate as well, we adopt measurement-device-independent (MDI) quantum key distribution with the zero-photon catalysis (ZPC) performed at the emitter of one side, which is the ZPC-based MDI-CVQKD. Numerical simulation shows that the ZPC-involved scheme, which is a Gaussian operation in essence, works better than the single photon subtraction (SPS)-involved scheme in the extreme asymmetric case. We find that the transmission of the ZPC-involved scheme is longer than that of the SPS-involved scheme. In addition, we consider the effects of temperature, salinity and solar elevation angle on the system performance in pure seawater. The maximal transmission distance decreases with the increase of temperature and the decrease of sunlight elevation angle, while it changes little over a broad range of salinity.

Entropy•May 19, 2020•21 citations
Abstract We propose a discrete-modulated continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution protocol over a fiber-to-water channel. Different from optical fibers, the underwater channel has more severe optical attenuation because of optical absorption and scattering, which reduces the maximum communication distance. To enhance the performance of the protocol, the photon subtraction operation is implemented at the modulator side. We carry out a performance simulation in two different kinds of seawater channel, and the result shows that the scheme with photon subtraction has a longer secure communication distance under certain conditions.
Considering the ocean water’s optical attenuation is significantly larger than that of Fiber Channel, we propose an approach to enhance the security of underwater continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD). In particular, the photon subtraction operation is performed at the emitter to enhance quantum entanglement, thereby improving the underwater transmission performance of the CVQKD. Simulation results show that the photon subtraction operation can effectively improve the performance of CVQKD in terms of underwater transmission distance. We also compare the performance of the proposed protocol in different water qualities, which shows the advantage of our protocol against water deterioration. Therefore, we provide a suitable scheme for establishing secure communication between submarine and submarine vehicles.
We investigate the optical absorption and scattering properties of four different kinds of seawater as the quantum channel. The models of discrete-modulated continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) in free-space seawater channel are briefly described, and the performance of the four-state protocol and the eight-state protocol in asymptotic and finite-size cases is analyzed in detail. Simulation results illustrate that the more complex is the seawater composition, the worse is the performance of the protocol. For different types of seawater channels, we can improve the performance of the protocol by selecting different optimal modulation variances and controlling the extra noise on the channel. Besides, we can find that the performance of the eight-state protocol is better than that of the four-state protocol, and there is little difference between homodyne detection and heterodyne detection. Although the secret key rate of the protocol that we propose is still relatively low and the maximum transmission distance is only a few hundred meters, the research on CV-QKD over the seawater channel is of great significance, which provides a new idea for the construction of global secure communication network.
Considering the ocean water’s optical attenuation and the roughness of the sea surface, we analyze the security of continuous-variable (CV) quantum key distribution (QKD) based air-to-water channel. The effects of the absorption and scattering on the transmittance of underwater quantum channel and the maximum secure transmission distance are studied. Considering the roughness of the sea surface, we simulate the performance bounds of CV QKD with different wind speeds using the Monte Carlo method. The results show that even if the secret key rate gradually reduces as the wind speed increases, the maximum transmission distance will not be affected obviously. Compared to the works regarding short-distance underwater optical communication, our research represents a significant step towards establishing secure communication between air platform and submarine vehicle .
Quantum key distribution with continuous-variable (CVQKD) provides an alternative way for the security improvement of underwater optical communication, but facing into the awkward situation of short distance. For this reason, here we exploit photon addition operation at the emitter into enhancing the performance of underwater CVQKD. Based on numerical simulation, it is shown that applying photon-addition non-Gaussian operation between entangled resource and the sender can further enhance both the secure key rate and the transmission distance, compared to apply photon subtraction operation between entangled resource and the receiver. In addition, the influence of seawater quality factors in underwater CVQKD system is also considered, so as to provide technical support for underwater safety communication.
Establishing high-rate secure communications is a potential application of continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) but still challenging for the long-distance transmission technology compatible with modern optical communication systems. Here, we propose a photon subtraction-induced plug-and-play scheme for enhancing CVQKD with discrete-modulation (DM), avoiding the traditional loopholes opened by the transmission of local oscillator. A photon subtraction operation is involved in the plug-and-play scheme for detection while resisting the extra untrusted source noise of the DM-CVQKD system. We analyze the relationship between secret key rate, channel losses, and untrusted source noise. The simulation result shows that the photon-subtracted scheme enhances the performance in terms of the maximal transmission distance and make up for the deficiency of the original system effectively. Furthermore, we demonstrate the influence of finite-size effect on the secret key rate which is close to the practical implementation.
Underwater quantumkey distribution (QKD) is tough but important formodern underwater communications in an insecure environment. It can guarantee secure underwater communication between submarines and enhance safety for critical network nodes. To enhance the performance of continuous-variable quantumkey distribution (CVQKD) underwater in terms ofmaximal transmission distance and secret key rate as well, we adopt measurement-device-independent (MDI) quantum key distribution with the zero-photon catalysis (ZPC) performed at the emitter of one side, which is the ZPC-based MDI-CVQKD. Numerical simulation shows that the ZPC-involved scheme, which is a Gaussian operation in essence, works better than the single photon subtraction (SPS)-involved scheme in the extreme asymmetric case. We find that the transmission of the ZPC-involved scheme is longer than that of the SPS-involved scheme. In addition, we consider the effects of temperature, salinity and solar elevation angle on the system performance in pure seawater. The maximal transmission distance decreases with the increase of temperature and the decrease of sunlight elevation angle, while it changes little over a broad range of salinity.