International Symposium on Semiconductor and Electronic Technology (ISSET)

Mode Division Multiplexing Enhanced Quantum Key Distribution System for Next-Generation Networks

Cong Chen

Published Jul 24, 2025• 0 citations

Abstract

With the rapid development of high-security applications such as finance, cloud computing, and key government services, network security issues have become increasingly prominent. Against this backdrop, quantum key distribution (QKD) technology has emerged as an important solution to address the security challenges of optical networks. Based on the principles of quantum mechanics, this technology can achieve unbreakable key distribution during communication, providing intrinsic security for the exchange of confidential information. It is currently one of the most promising long-term security protection technologies for optical networks.Due to the high cost of independently deploying quantum communication networks, integrating quantum channels with classical optical networks for transmission has become the most feasible solution at present. Meanwhile, the continuous development of technologies such as high-order modulation and wavelength division multiplexing has brought the transmission capacity of conventional single-mode fibers close to their theoretical Shannon limit, and mode division multiplexing(MDM) can effectively solve the problem of transmission capacity.However, quantum signals are highly susceptible to crosstalk caused by classical signals during the simultaneous transmission with classical signals. This paper conducts a simulation experiment on a quantum-classical fusion system based on MDM. The results show that the quantum signals are not significantly interfered with by the classical signals during simultaneous transmission, and this system is suitable as a simultaneous transmission scheme for large-scale networking of quantum secure communication.

DOI: 10.1109/isset66828.2025.11184957

Related papers

Classical-quantum signals simultaneous transmission sharing a same fiber based on mode division multiplexing

Cong Chen, Min Hu, Banghon Guo

Quantum cryptography uses the basic principles of quantum physics to ensure the security of information transmission. In theory, it has unconditional security and can provide new technical guarantees for information security in various fields of society. In order to save the cost of deploying the QKD network, the QKD network can be combined with the existing classical communication network, so that the quantum signal and the classical signal can be transmitted through the same fiber. However, there are still many key technical problems in the fusion network of quantum communication and classical communication. This paper proposes a technique of classical-quantum signals simultaneous transmission sharing a same fiber based on mode division multiplexing. This scheme improves the problem that a large mode gain difference between different modes caused by EDFA and leads to a decrease in the transmission capacity of the system in the existing long distance mode division multiplexing transmission system.

Eighth Symposium on Novel Photoelectronic Detection Technology and ApplicationsMar 12, 20210 citations

QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION IN OPTICAL COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

Akabarsaheb Babulal Nadaf, RajeshKumar Rameshbhai Savaliya, Vinay Kumar Nassa +1 more

Background: Quantum Key Distribution (QKD( is a promising technology for secure communication, leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics to provide theoretically unbreakable encryption. With the exponential growth in data traffic and the increasing need for secure communication in backbone fiber networks, integrating high-bit-rate multiplexing techniques into QKD systems can enhance their efficiency and scalability. Problem: Traditional QKD systems face limitations in terms of data rate and network scalability, particularly in high-capacity optical communication networks. As data demands increase, there is a critical need for methods that can support high-bit-rate multiplexing while maintaining the security and performance of QKD. Method: This study proposes a novel QKD approach using high-bit-rate multiplexing in backbone fiber networks. The method involves encoding quantum keys using multiple optical channels simultaneously to increase the data throughput of the QKD system. We employ a combination of time-division multiplexing (TDM( and wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM( to optimize the use of fiber resources and enhance key distribution rates. Results: Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a key distribution rate of 10 Mbps over a 200 km fiber link with a quantum bit error rate (QBER( of 1.5%. This represents a 50% improvement in key rate compared to conventional QKD systems without multiplexing. Additionally, the method shows enhanced scalability and network utilization, supporting up to 16 multiplexed channels with minimal impact on security.

ICTACT Journal on Communication TechnologySep 1, 20240 citations

Long-distance transmission of quantum key distribution coexisting with classical optical communication over a weakly-coupled few-mode fiber

Bi-Xiao Wang, Yingqiu Mao, Lei Shen +10 more

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is one of the most practical applications in quantum information processing, which can generate information-theoretical secure keys between remote parties. With the help of the wavelength-division multiplexing technique, QKD has been integrated with the classical optical communication networks. The wavelength-division multiplexing can be further improved by the mode-wavelength dual multiplexing technique with few-mode fiber (FMF), which has additional modal isolation and large effective core area of mode, and particularly is practical in fabrication and splicing technology compared with the multi-core fiber. Here, we present for the first time a QKD implementation coexisting with classical optical communication over weakly-coupled FMF using all-fiber mode-selective couplers. The co-propagation of QKD with one 100 Gbps classical data channel at -2.60 dBm launched power is achieved over 86 km FMF with 1.3 kbps real-time secure key generation. Compared with single-mode fiber using wavelength-division multiplexing, given the same fiber-input power, the Raman noise in FMF using the mode-wavelength dual multiplexing is reduced by 86% in average. Our work implements an important approach to the integration between QKD and classical optical communication and previews the compatibility of quantum communications with the next-generation mode division multiplexing networks.

arXiv:2002.00420Optics ExpressApr 6, 202054 citations

Quantum Key Distribution in Optical Communication Networks

Ramesh Penduparthi1, Kavitha Reddy 2, Karthik V.M.Srinivasalu3

The increasing reliance on optical communication networks for high-speed data transmission has amplified concerns regarding secure information exchange in the era of quantum computing. Classical cryptographic protocols such as RSA and ECC, though widely deployed, are vulnerable to attacks from large-scale quantum computers executing Shor’s algorithm. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) has emerged as a revolutionary cryptographic paradigm that leverages the principles of quantum mechanics to enable theoretically unbreakable key exchange. This paper investigates the integration of QKD into optical communication networks, focusing on protocol design, implementation challenges, and potential scalability. Through scenario-based evaluation, the study highlights the trade-offs between quantum security and practical deployment constraints such as channel loss, photon detector efficiency, and key generation rates. Results from simulated models demonstrate that while QKD can achieve provable security in metropolitan-area networks, long-distance transmission requires advanced techniques such as quantum repeaters and trusted nodes. This work concludes that QKD offers a promising pathway toward quantum-safe communication but necessitates

Jun 20, 20250 citations

Quantum Key Distribution in Optical Communication Networks

Ramesh Penduparthi1, Kavitha Reddy 2, Karthik V.M.Srinivasalu3

The increasing reliance on optical communication networks for high-speed data transmission has amplified concerns regarding secure information exchange in the era of quantum computing. Classical cryptographic protocols such as RSA and ECC, though widely deployed, are vulnerable to attacks from large-scale quantum computers executing Shor�s algorithm. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) has emerged as a revolutionary cryptographic paradigm that leverages the principles of quantum mechanics to enable theoretically unbreakable key exchange. This paper investigates the integration of QKD into optical communication networks, focusing on protocol design, implementation challenges, and potential scalability. Through scenario-based evaluation, the study highlights the trade-offs between quantum security and practical deployment constraints such as channel loss, photon detector efficiency, and key generation rates. Results from simulated models demonstrate that while QKD can achieve provable security in metropolitan-area networks, long-distance transmission requires advanced techniques such as quantum repeaters and trusted nodes. This work concludes that QKD offers a promising pathway toward quantum-safe communication but necessitates advancements in hardware, standardization, and hybrid cryptographic strategies for widespread adoption.

Jul 30, 20250 citations

Quantum key distribution over optical access networks

Slaviša Aleksić, Dominic Winkler, Gerald Franzl +3 more

It is well known that optical access networks are able to provide high data rates over long distances and to a reasonable number of users. Security and privacy are always a challenge for public accessible network infrastructures. Especially in time-division multiplexing passive optical networks (TDM-PONs), in which the downstream signal is broadcasted to all users connected via the same wavelength channel in a shared fiber link, privacy can be a critical concern. Although encryption at the application layer can provide a high level of security, this can be achieved only if the encryption key distribution is perfectly save. On the other hand, encryption on the physical layer such as quantum cryptography or, more precisely, quantum key distribution (QKD) is a very promising approach to achieve secure communication. However, there remain several issues that have to be solved before the quantum cryptography reaches the maturity level needed for a cost effective implementation in practical networks. In this paper, we address quantum key distribution (QKD) over passive optical access networks, which is an enabling technology required to cost efficiently deploy practical quantum encrypted data communication in the access area. We study different methods to integrate QKD systems in conventional optical access networks and quantitatively evaluate their suitability for a potential implementation.

European Conference on Networks and Optical CommunicationsJul 1, 201330 citations