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Smart Real-Time Quantum Key Distribution System with Polarization Compensation

X. J. Zhang, H. Yu, X. P. Wang, W. Wang, Y. X. Yan, K. P. Zhong, H. Cai, S. H. Sun, A.P.T. Lau, F.C.M. Lau, A. Q. Liu

Published Jan 1, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We demonstrate a real-time polarization-compensated quantum key distribution system integrated with photonic chips and an FPGA-based control system, achieving 109 kbps secure key rate over 51.5 km fiber with long-term stability.
DOI
10.1364/cleo_at.2026.ath4b.3

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Polarizations of single-photon pulses have been controlled with long-term stability of more than 10 hours by using an active feedback technique for auto-compensation of unpredictable polarization scrambling in long-distance fiber. Experimental tests of long-term operations in 50, 75 and 100 km fibers demonstrated that such a single-photon polarization control supported stable polarization encoding in long-distance fibers to facilitate stable one-way fiber system for polarization-encoded quantum key distribution, providing quantum bit error rates below the absolute security threshold.
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We experimentally investigate a highly integrated, polarization qubit based quantum key distribution system over a real-world, 12.4 km fiber link. Our system implements quantum frames, i.e. alternating sequences of high intensity optical pulses (classical data) and faint ones (qubits or quantum data). The classical data enables compensation of time-varying birefringence in the fiber link, and will facilitate synchronization, time tagging, and allow extending point-to-point quantum key distribution systems to networks. Our system can be clocked at 980 MHz, and has demonstrated good stability over 37 hours operation. We also discuss high rate error correction using a low-density parity-check code.
In quantum key distribution (QKD) systems using polarization entanglement, channel polarization perturbations significantly compromise both efficiency and security. To address the slow response and instability of current entanglement-based polarization compensation techniques for entanglement-based quantum key distribution, we propose a polarization compensation scheme based on an adaptive gradient descent algorithm. The system's performance is tested over a 10 km single-sided fiber channel. Results show that this scheme maintains long-term stability of the polarization state under both random and periodic perturbations. The average compensation time is 248 ms, with an entanglement source average visibility of 83.43% and an average quantum error rate of 8.28%. This method effectively mitigates polarization perturbation in entanglement-based quantum key distribution (QKD). These results are pivotal for the development of long-distance, multi-node quantum communication networks.