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Light Science & Applications

Frequency-bin-encoded entanglement-based quantum key distribution in a reconfigurable frequency-multiplexed network

Anahita Khodadad Kashi, Michael Kues

Published Jan 16, 2025• 22 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Large-scale quantum networks require dynamic and resource-efficient solutions to reduce system complexity with maintained security and performance to support growing number of users over large distances. Current encoding schemes including time-bin, polarization, and orbital angular momentum, suffer from the lack of reconfigurability and thus scalability issues. Here, we demonstrate the first-time implementation of frequency-bin-encoded entanglement-based quantum key distribution and a reconfigurable distribution of entanglement using frequency-bin encoding. Specifically, we demonstrate a novel scalable frequency-bin basis analyzer module that allows for a passive random basis selection as a crucial step in quantum protocols, and importantly equips each user with a single detector rather than four detectors. This minimizes massively the resource overhead, reduces the dark count contribution, vulnerability to detector side-channel attacks, and the detector imbalance, hence providing an enhanced security. Our approach offers an adaptive frequency-multiplexing capability to increase the number of channels without hardware overhead, enabling increased secret key rate and reconfigurable multi-user operations. In perspective, our approach enables dynamic resource-minimized quantum key distribution among multiple users across diverse network topologies, and facilitates scalability to large-scale quantum networks.

DOI
10.1038/s41377-024-01696-8

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Large-scale quantum networks require dynamic and resource-efficient solutions to reduce system complexity with maintained security and performance to support growing number of users over large distances. Current encoding schemes including time-bin, polarization, and orbital angular momentum, suffer from the lack of reconfigurability and thus scalability issues. Here, we demonstrate the first-time implementation of frequency-bin-encoded entanglement-based quantum key distribution and a reconfigurable distribution of entanglement using frequency-bin encoding. Specifically, we demonstrate a novel scalable frequency-bin basis analyzer module that allows for a passive random basis selection as a crucial step in quantum protocols, and importantly equips each user with a single detector rather than four detectors. This minimizes massively the resource overhead, reduces the dark count contribution, vulnerability to detector side-channel attacks, and the detector imbalance, hence providing an enhanced security. Our approach offers an adaptive frequency-multiplexing capability to increase the number of channels without hardware overhead, enabling increased secret key rate and reconfigurable multi-user operations. In perspective, our approach enables dynamic resource-minimized quantum key distribution among multiple users across diverse network topologies, and facilitates scalability to large-scale quantum networks.
We demonstrate the first-time frequency-bin-encoded entanglement-based quantum key distribution (EBQKD) between two users, and a flexible entanglement distribution over long optical fiber links. Dynamic and resource-efficient solutions are crucial to realizing large-scale photonic quantum networks capable of accommodating a growing number of users over large distances and at the same time facilitating a reliable performance at a maintained security level. Here, we adopt the frequency-bin encoding approach for defining three frequency channels, namely, CH1, CH2, and CH3, from highly correlated signal and idler photon pairs from pulsed-excited spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) process. The adaptive frequency de/multiplexing capability of our approach facilitates dynamic allocation of multiple frequency channels to additional users without increasing the hardware overhead. We developed a frequency-bin-basis analyzer module (see Figure. 1 a & b) composed of a programmable filter (PF), a frequency mixer (FM) based on electro-optic phase modulation (EOPM), a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) for the frequency-to-time mapping (FTM), and a superconducting nanowire single photon detector (SNSPD) of high timing resolution. Through a fine-tuned frequency mixing, passive random projection measurements are realized in two mutually unbiased basis (MUB; hereZ={∣0⟩,∣1⟩}\mathrm{Z}=\{\vert 0\rangle, \vert 1\rangle\}Z={∣0⟩,∣1⟩}andX={∣+⟩,∣−⟩})\mathrm{X}=\{\vert +\rangle, \vert -\rangle\})X={∣+⟩,∣−⟩}). The FTM technique applied on the frequency-mixed spectrum of each frequency channel allows for a time-resolved access to the projection measurement results in four basis states using only a single SNSPD. Remarkably, we showcase the capability of our approach for time-resolved detection of the four projection states corresponding to CH1, CH2, and CH3 using a single SNSPD per user. The performance metrics of the BBM92 protocol are shown in Figure. 1 c-e under different optical attenuations, at maximum 15.6 dB (equivalent to a 73 km fiber link). The qubit error ratio (QBER) was obtained for all channels well below the 11% upper threshold [1]. The maximum asymptotic secret key lengthlAl^{A}lAof 310-bits, 283-bits, and 149-bits were obtained for channels CH1, CH2, and CH3, respectively. From the finite key analysis, a positive non-zero secret key rate was obtained for less than 15.6 dB attenuation. The capability of the system was also assessed in preserving high quality frequency-insenstive entanglement for distribution across remote fiber links (see Figure.1 f-h). Overall, the presented approach enables passive random projection measurements in two MUB by each user and benefits from frequency-multiplexing capability for adaptive multi-user operations. A single SNSPD per user renders this approach resource-efficient compared to conventional implementation schemes requiring 4×N detectors corresponding to N channels [2]. A single SNSPD means a reduced vulnerability to detector side channel attacks, a minimized dark count contribution, and a diminished imbalance arising from detection probability mismatch. Our approach thus enables a resource-efficient and a scalable implementation of EBQKD required for the future large-scale quantum networks.
Abstract Quantum networks enhance quantum communication schemes and link multiple users over large areas. Harnessing high dimensional quantum states - qu-d-its - allows for a denser transfer of information with increased robustness to noise compared to qubits. Frequency encoded qu-d-its can be manipulated at telecom wavelengths with off-the-shelf fibered devices. We use a low free spectral range silicon microresonator to propose, assess and optimize a reconfigurable entanglement-based quantum key distribution network with frequency-bin encoded Bell states of dimension d = 2 and d = 3, using a single fibered hardware. We achieve secure key rates of 1374 bit/s with qutrits ( d = 3), and estimate the communication range to 295 km with qubits ( d = 2) across 21 parallel two-user quantum channels. This multi-dimensional versatile demonstration is stable beyond 21 h and lays the groundwork for larger dimensionality implementations deployed on metropolitan fiber links.
This work explores quantum cryptography through frequency-bin encoding, leveraging photon frequencies for tap-proof entanglement distribution in reconfigurable networks. We integrate recent breakthroughs in Photonic Quantum Convolutional Neural Networks (PQCNNs) and transformer-based error decoding to enhance resilience in quantum processors. The paper demonstrates the first implementation of the BBM92 protocol using frequency bins, achieving adaptive multiplexing and multi-user scalability. Extending to cislunar resilience, Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) supports space-terrestrial V2X. These elements support resilient quantum networks aligned with the Genesis Mission’s emphasis on AI-accelerated quantum technologies and national laboratory infrastructure.
Abstract Quantum communication networks enable applications ranging from highly secure communication to clock synchronization and distributed quantum computing. Miniaturized, flexible, and cost-efficient resources will be key elements for ensuring the scalability of such networks as they progress towards large-scale deployed infrastructures. Here, we bring these elements together by combining an on-chip, telecom-wavelength, broadband entangled photon source with industry-grade flexible-grid wavelength division multiplexing techniques, to demonstrate reconfigurable entanglement distribution between up to 8 users in a resource-optimized quantum network topology. As a benchmark application we use quantum key distribution, and show low error and high secret key generation rates across several frequency channels, over both symmetric and asymmetric metropolitan-distance optical fibered links and including finite-size effects. By adapting the bandwidth allocation to specific network constraints, we also illustrate the flexible networking capability of our configuration. Together with the potential of our semiconductor source for distributing secret keys over a 60 nm bandwidth with commercial multiplexing technology, these results offer a promising route to the deployment of scalable quantum network architectures.
Quantum networks enable fundamentally secure communications and entanglement distribution in parallelized quantum computation. Here we describe our high-dimensional quantum network based on frequency-multiplexed time-bin encoding. Our multi-user 21-km experimental testbed is designed for robustness and scalability, with frequency- and temporal-multiplexing for high-rate interconnects while preserving minimal resource usage and multi-party access through simultaneous key or entanglement distribution. Our measurements are in the high-dimensional frequency and temporal conjugate subspaces, via our biphoton frequency comb qudit. Non-local Franson interferometry provide a measured lower-bound of our entanglement-of-formation, and the Schmidt mode decomposition provide an estimate of the accessible quantum information. We highlight adaptive optimization and singly-filtered biphoton combs as a practical architecture in our high-rate quantum network testbed. We describe the photon information efficiency, Shannon capacity, entanglement distribution, raw key rates, security measurements, dispersive bases, code-efficient non-binary error correction, and Holevo bounds embedded in our network.
Entanglement is an essential ingredient in many quantum communication protocols. In particular, entanglement can be exploited in quantum key distribution (QKD) to generate two correlated random bit strings whose randomness is guaranteed by the non-local property of quantum mechanics. While QKD protocols based on polarization and time-bin entanglement have been widely investigated, secure key distribution based on frequency-bin entangled photon sources have received only minor attentions.Here we experimentally implement the BBM92 protocol using a frequency-bin encoded entangled state, generated by an integrated source of photon pairs in a silicon photonic chip. We execute a passive basis selection scheme and simultaneously record sixteen projective measurements over two mutually unbiased basis sets. An adaptive rotation of the measurement base is introduced to compensate the random relative phase fluctuation between the two 15-GHz-spaced frequency bins in a fiber spool.Stable transmission over a 26 km fiber spool is demonstrated with a secret key rate ≥ 4.5 bit/s.