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International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks

Design and Implementation of the Quantum Communication Testbed NL

A. Barreiro, C. Stan, María Álvarez-Roa, Tommy van Duijn, Idelfonso Tafur Monroy, Simon Rommel

Published Jul 1, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present the Quantum Communication Testbed NL, a four-node quantum key distribution network deployed in and around Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The main goal of the testbed is to provide an environment for testing quantum safe communications and demonstrating use cases and network applications. We describe the infrastructure stack, including the heterogeneous quantum key distribution equipment, our custom key management system using trusted relay nodes, and network encryptors. We also present monitoring and alerting solutions that integrate classical and quantum infrastructure, along with performance data that demonstrate how the testbed operates under near real-world conditions.

DOI
10.1109/icton71309.2026.11704939

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We present the Quantum Communication Testbed NL, a four-node quantum key distribution network deployed in and around Eindhoven, The Netherlands. The main goal of the testbed is to provide an environment for testing quantum safe communications and demonstrating use cases and network applications. We describe the infrastructure stack, including the heterogeneous quantum key distribution equipment, our custom key management system using trusted relay nodes, and network encryptors. We also present monitoring and alerting solutions that integrate classical and quantum infrastructure, along with performance data that demonstrate how the testbed operates under near real-world conditions.
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