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

Journal of Optical Communications and Networking

Design of a key management system for efficient key supply in quantum key distribution networks

Emir Dervisevic, Amina Tanković, Enio Kaljić, Miroslav Vozn̆ák, Miralem Mehić

Published Dec 12, 2025• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Key management strategies are a critical yet often overlooked aspect of integrating quantum key distribution (QKD) networks as a service into critical infrastructure. It has a considerable impact on the efficiency of QKD network services, thereby shaping its suitability for diverse applications. In this paper, we examine the effectiveness of key management strategies developed through practical testbeds, identifying their strengths and weaknesses. A novel, to the best of our knowledge, organization of key storage to enhance key construction efficiency and overall service performance is introduced. Using simulation tools, the proposed strategy is evaluated against existing approaches, demonstrating superior performance and effectiveness.

DOI
10.1364/jocn.577670

Related papers

Quantum Key Storage for Efficient Key Management

Emir Dervisevic, Amina Tanković, Enio Kaljić +2 more

In the ongoing discourse surrounding integrating QKD networks as a service for critical infrastructures, key storage design often receives insufficient attention. Nonetheless, it bears crucial significance as it profoundly impacts the efficiency of QKD network services, thereby shaping its suitability for diverse applications. In this article, we analyze the effectiveness of key storage designs developed through practical testbeds and propose a novel key storage design to increase the effectiveness of key creation and supply. All key storage designs underwent analysis using network simulation tools, and the findings demonstrate that the novel key storage design surpasses existing approaches in terms of performance.

arXiv:2408.04598•Aug 8, 2024•2 citations

Quantum Key Distribution Networks - Key Management: A Survey

Emir Dervisevic, Amina Tanković, Ehsan Fazel +4 more

Secure communication makes the widespread use of telecommunication networks and services possible. With the constant progress of computing and mathematics, new cryptographic methods are being diligently developed. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is a promising technology that provides an Information-Theoretically Secure (ITS) solution to the secret-key agreement problem between two remote parties. QKD networks based on trusted relay nodes are built to provide service to a larger number of parties at arbitrary distances. They function as an add-on technology to traditional networks, generating, managing, distributing, and supplying ITS cryptographic keys. Since key resources are limited, integrating QKD network services into critical infrastructures necessitates effective key management. As a result, this article provides a comprehensive review of key management approaches for trusted-relay QKD networks. They are analyzed to facilitate the identification of potential strategies and accelerate the future development of QKD networks.

arXiv:2408.04580•ACM Computing Surveys•Apr 19, 2025•76 citations

Resource Allocation Strategies in Quantum Key Distribution Networks

Catalina Stan, Dominique Verchère, Juan José Vegas Olmos +2 more

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a symmetric key exchange mechanism designed to enhance the security of current communication systems. Although QKD provides unconditional security, it also comes with deployment challenges. One challenge is the distance limitation between the transmitter and receiver, which restricts the large-scale adoption of QKD. To overcome this, trusted relays are used as intermediate nodes, allowing QKD to evolve from distance-limited point-to-point connections to unlimited QKD networks (QKDN). With an increasing deployment of QKD and a growing number of applications requesting keys, quality of service (QoS) constraints must be set for efficient key resource management to alleviate the risk of rejecting application requests. In this work, we integrate key delivery delay and maximum requested key size as QoS constraints in a novel key allocation algorithm built on three QKDN layers – quantum, key management and service. Moreover, we design key relaying using quantum key pools and virtual quantum key pools as storage mechanisms. We use static and dynamic weights for relay path computation and evaluate their impact on the proposed key allocation strategies with QoS constraints and find that static weights show a good overall performance for QKDN, while performance with dynamic weights varies based on historical key consumption data.

Globecom•Dec 8, 2024•2 citations

Performance Evaluation of Key Management Systems for Quantum Key Distribution Networks

Tommy van Duijn, Simon Rommel

Key Management Systems (KMSs) are essential for secure and scalable Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) networks. For successful integration of QKD into existing security protocols, it is crucial that KMSs can reliably deliver keys with sufficiently low latency. Yet, the performance of practical implementations remains insufficiently characterized. We benchmarked the throughput and latency of the key-delivery interfaces of several commercial KMS solutions alongside an in-house developed system. Our evaluation reveals that the KMS performance degrades significantly under high-workload conditions, indicating that current designs require substantial optimization before they can support large-scale, high-demand QKD deployments.

International Conference on Optical Network Design and Modeling (ONDM)•May 1, 2026•0 citations

Design of Cryptosystem Architecture Based on Quantum Key Distribution

Weijia Xue, Wang Congli, Jingran Wang

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a promising technique for addressing quantum threats. To enable easy-to-use cryptographic services based on QKD, we designed a cryptosystem that integrates classical cryptographic systems with key generation and distribution using a QKD network. The proposed cryptosystem comprises a centrally deployed cryptography management service platform and distributed key management systems. The paper presents the functional modules, main processes, interface design, and security requirements of the cryptosystem. This cryptosystem provides a secure and efficient way to offer cryptographic services for various business applications, such as identity authentication, application authorization and point-to-point or group session key distribution. By integrating QKD with classical cryptosystems, this approach can improve the security of traditional cryptographic systems by using the random and unconditionally secure keys generated by QKD. Furthermore, combining QKD with classical cryptographic systems can enhance the scalability of QKD and provide more efficient and cost-effective solutions for large-scale cryptographic services.

IEEE International Conference on Information Systems and Computer Aided Education (ICISCAE)•Sep 23, 2023•2 citations

Quantum Key Distribution Networks Design: Overview and Challenges

Pankaj Kumar, Neel Kanth Kundu, Binayak Kar

ABSTRACT Quantum cryptography has increasingly attracted interest from both industry and academia for its potential in real‐world applications. With advancements in quantum electronics, practical quantum devices are now commercially available and poised for broader adoption. Quantum key distribution (QKD) leverages fundamental principles of quantum mechanics to ensure secure communication, whereas quantum key distribution networks (QKDN) serve as the foundational infrastructure for deploying and scaling these secure systems. This paper examines the design methodologies specific to QKD within QKDN, emphasising both the conceptual framework and the practical challenges inherent in the field. In the pursuit of developing robust QKDN design, several key obstacles, related to the foundational QKD technology, must be addressed. These include decoherence, which affects the stability of quantum states and reduces key generation rates; latency, which disrupts synchronisation throughout the QKD network; and intrinsic quantum noise, an inherent property of quantum systems that primarily limits the overall performance of the QKD network. In addition, the limited communication ranges and the requirement for highly specialised hardware complicate the practical deployment of these networks. This work serves as an introductory guide for researchers entering the field, providing an overview of the fundamental principles of QKD network design and the distinctive routing characteristics inherent to such systems. It outlines the essential steps and considerations for building efficient and resilient QKDN infrastructures, including a discussion of the foundational principles, protocols and existing challenges.

IET Quantum Communication•Jan 1, 2026•3 citations
Key management strategies are a critical yet often overlooked aspect of integrating quantum key distribution (QKD) networks as a service into critical infrastructure. It has a considerable impact on the efficiency of QKD network services, thereby shaping its suitability for diverse applications. In this paper, we examine the effectiveness of key management strategies developed through practical testbeds, identifying their strengths and weaknesses. A novel, to the best of our knowledge, organization of key storage to enhance key construction efficiency and overall service performance is introduced. Using simulation tools, the proposed strategy is evaluated against existing approaches, demonstrating superior performance and effectiveness.
In the ongoing discourse surrounding integrating QKD networks as a service for critical infrastructures, key storage design often receives insufficient attention. Nonetheless, it bears crucial significance as it profoundly impacts the efficiency of QKD network services, thereby shaping its suitability for diverse applications. In this article, we analyze the effectiveness of key storage designs developed through practical testbeds and propose a novel key storage design to increase the effectiveness of key creation and supply. All key storage designs underwent analysis using network simulation tools, and the findings demonstrate that the novel key storage design surpasses existing approaches in terms of performance.
Secure communication makes the widespread use of telecommunication networks and services possible. With the constant progress of computing and mathematics, new cryptographic methods are being diligently developed. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is a promising technology that provides an Information-Theoretically Secure (ITS) solution to the secret-key agreement problem between two remote parties. QKD networks based on trusted relay nodes are built to provide service to a larger number of parties at arbitrary distances. They function as an add-on technology to traditional networks, generating, managing, distributing, and supplying ITS cryptographic keys. Since key resources are limited, integrating QKD network services into critical infrastructures necessitates effective key management. As a result, this article provides a comprehensive review of key management approaches for trusted-relay QKD networks. They are analyzed to facilitate the identification of potential strategies and accelerate the future development of QKD networks.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a symmetric key exchange mechanism designed to enhance the security of current communication systems. Although QKD provides unconditional security, it also comes with deployment challenges. One challenge is the distance limitation between the transmitter and receiver, which restricts the large-scale adoption of QKD. To overcome this, trusted relays are used as intermediate nodes, allowing QKD to evolve from distance-limited point-to-point connections to unlimited QKD networks (QKDN). With an increasing deployment of QKD and a growing number of applications requesting keys, quality of service (QoS) constraints must be set for efficient key resource management to alleviate the risk of rejecting application requests. In this work, we integrate key delivery delay and maximum requested key size as QoS constraints in a novel key allocation algorithm built on three QKDN layers – quantum, key management and service. Moreover, we design key relaying using quantum key pools and virtual quantum key pools as storage mechanisms. We use static and dynamic weights for relay path computation and evaluate their impact on the proposed key allocation strategies with QoS constraints and find that static weights show a good overall performance for QKDN, while performance with dynamic weights varies based on historical key consumption data.
Key Management Systems (KMSs) are essential for secure and scalable Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) networks. For successful integration of QKD into existing security protocols, it is crucial that KMSs can reliably deliver keys with sufficiently low latency. Yet, the performance of practical implementations remains insufficiently characterized. We benchmarked the throughput and latency of the key-delivery interfaces of several commercial KMS solutions alongside an in-house developed system. Our evaluation reveals that the KMS performance degrades significantly under high-workload conditions, indicating that current designs require substantial optimization before they can support large-scale, high-demand QKD deployments.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a promising technique for addressing quantum threats. To enable easy-to-use cryptographic services based on QKD, we designed a cryptosystem that integrates classical cryptographic systems with key generation and distribution using a QKD network. The proposed cryptosystem comprises a centrally deployed cryptography management service platform and distributed key management systems. The paper presents the functional modules, main processes, interface design, and security requirements of the cryptosystem. This cryptosystem provides a secure and efficient way to offer cryptographic services for various business applications, such as identity authentication, application authorization and point-to-point or group session key distribution. By integrating QKD with classical cryptosystems, this approach can improve the security of traditional cryptographic systems by using the random and unconditionally secure keys generated by QKD. Furthermore, combining QKD with classical cryptographic systems can enhance the scalability of QKD and provide more efficient and cost-effective solutions for large-scale cryptographic services.
ABSTRACT Quantum cryptography has increasingly attracted interest from both industry and academia for its potential in real‐world applications. With advancements in quantum electronics, practical quantum devices are now commercially available and poised for broader adoption. Quantum key distribution (QKD) leverages fundamental principles of quantum mechanics to ensure secure communication, whereas quantum key distribution networks (QKDN) serve as the foundational infrastructure for deploying and scaling these secure systems. This paper examines the design methodologies specific to QKD within QKDN, emphasising both the conceptual framework and the practical challenges inherent in the field. In the pursuit of developing robust QKDN design, several key obstacles, related to the foundational QKD technology, must be addressed. These include decoherence, which affects the stability of quantum states and reduces key generation rates; latency, which disrupts synchronisation throughout the QKD network; and intrinsic quantum noise, an inherent property of quantum systems that primarily limits the overall performance of the QKD network. In addition, the limited communication ranges and the requirement for highly specialised hardware complicate the practical deployment of these networks. This work serves as an introductory guide for researchers entering the field, providing an overview of the fundamental principles of QKD network design and the distinctive routing characteristics inherent to such systems. It outlines the essential steps and considerations for building efficient and resilient QKDN infrastructures, including a discussion of the foundational principles, protocols and existing challenges.