The Quantum Key Distribution protocol can encode a single quantum state and implements an information-theoretically secure key distribution protocol in communication. In the actual QKD experimental system, there are usually two encoding methods which are phase encoding and polarization encoding. Ma et al.[Phase-Matching Quantum Key Distribution, Phys. Rev. X., 2018, 8(3)] proposed the phase-matching QKD protocol, which has high transmission and it is an extension of the measurement device independent QKD. This paper successfully gives the polarization scheme of this PM-QKD protocol, the bases in the polarization scheme are arbitrary, and eliminates detector side channel attacks. Furthermore, we give the security analysis and simulation results of the polarization scheme, and compare it with the BB84 protocol. The simulation results show that our protocol is superior to the BB84 protocol in terms of transmission distance under the fixed key rate.
The BB84 and B92 protocols based on polarization coding are usually used in free-space quantum key distribution. Polarization tracking technique is one of the key techniques in the satellite quantum key distribution. Because the photon polarization state will be changed as a result of the satellite movement, both the transmitter and receiver need to have the ability to track the polarization orientation variation to accomplish the quantum cryptography protocols. In this paper, the polarization tracking principles are analyzed based on Faraday effect and the half-wave plate. The transforms of s…
We present a polarization diverse receiver architecture for continuous variables quantum key distribution. Our receiver architecture forgoes the need for any polarization matching calibrations or feedback loops and is usable in any locally generated local oscillator key distribution system. We demonstrate experimentally that our system is capable of reliably achieving theoretical security against coherent attacks, even under very adverse random polarization drift scenarios, where the single polarization channels are unable to achieve security, and is capable of functioning for long periods of …
In this paper, we briefly show how the quantum key distribution with blind polarization bases [Kye et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 040501 (2005)] can be made secure against the invisible photon attack.
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.
We propose a new quantum key distribution scheme that uses the blind polarization basis. In our scheme the sender and the receiver share key information by exchanging qubits with arbitrary polarization angles without basis reconciliation. As only random polarizations are transmitted, our protocol is secure even when a key is embedded in a not-so-weak coherent-state pulse. We show its security against the photon number splitting attack and the impersonation attack.
In this paper, we briefly show how the quantum key distribution with blind polarization bases [Kye et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 040501 (2005)] can be made secure against the impersonation attack.
We demonstrate experimentally that it is possible to prepare and detect photon pairs created by spontaneous parametric down-conversion which exhibit simultaneous position-momentum and polarization correlations that are adequate to implement a four-dimensional key distribution protocol.
We present an experimental demonstration of a quantum key distribution protocol using coherent polarization states. Post selection is used to ensure a low error rate and security against beam splitting attacks even in the presence of high losses. Signal encoding and readout in polarization bases avoids the difficult task of sending a local oscillator with the quantum channel. This makes our setup robust and easy to implement. A shared key was established for losses up to 64%.
In this paper we demonstrate an active polarization drift compensation scheme for optical fibres employed in a quantum key distribution experiment with polarization encoded qubits. The quantum signals are wavelength multiplexed in one fibre along with two classical optical side channels that provide the control information for the polarization compensation scheme. This set-up allows us to continuously track any polarization change without the need to interrupt the key exchange. The results obtained show that fast polarization rotations of the order of 40*pi rad/s are effectively compensated fo…
We perform a proof-of-principle demonstration of the measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) protocol using weak coherent states and polarization-encoded qubits over two optical fiber links of 8.5 km each. Each link was independently stabilized against polarization drifts using a full-polarization control system employing two wavelength-multiplexed control channels. A linear-optics-based polarization Bell-state analyzer was built into the intermediate station, Charlie, which is connected to both Alice and Bob via the optical fiber links. Using decoy-states, a lower bo…
A two-step quantum key distribution protocol using frequency and polarization doubly entangled photons is proposed. In this protocol, information is encoded by a unitary operation on each of the two doubly entangled photons and sent from Alice to Bob in two steps. State measurement device is designed. The security of the communication is analyzed.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is theoretically secure using the principle of quantum mechanics; therefore, QKD is a promising solution for the future of secure communication. Although several experimental demonstrations of QKD have been reported, they have not considered the polarization-dependent loss in state preparation in the key-rate estimation. In this study, we experimentally characterized polarization-dependent loss in realistic state-preparation devices and verified that a considerable PDL exists in fiber- and silicon-based polarization modulators. Hence, the security of such QKD sys…
Quantum Key Distribution, as a branch of quantum mechanics in cryptography, can distribute keys between legal communication parties in an unconditionally secure manner, thus can realize in transmitting confidential information with unconditional security. We consider a Phase-Matching Quantum Key Distribution protocol with 3-state systems for the first time, where the phase of the coherent state is 3,thus we propose three different ways to response to every successful detection and two parties gain their raw keys by "flip and flip". The simulation results show that compared with Phase-Matching …
We present and characterize a source for a 5 GHz clocked polarization-based simplified BB84 protocol. Secret keys are distributed over 151.5 km of standard telecom fiber at a rate of 54.5 kbps. Potentially, an increased clock frequency of the experiment introduces correlations between succeeding pulses. We discuss the impact of these correlations and propose measurements to estimate the relevant parameters.
We present two polarization-based protocols for quantum key distribution. The protocols encode key bits in noiseless subspaces or subsystems, and so can function over a quantum channel subjected to an arbitrary degree of collective noise, as occurs, for instance, due to rotation of polarizations in an optical fiber. These protocols can be implemented using only entangled photon-pair sources, single-photon rotations, and single-photon detectors. Thus, our proposals offer practical and realistic alternatives to existing schemes for quantum key distribution over optical fibers without resorting t…
Recently, a quantum key exchange protocol has been described, which served as basis for securing an actual bank transaction by means of quantum cryptography [quant-ph/0404115]. Here we show, that the authentication scheme applied is insecure in the sense that an attacker can provoke a situation where initiator and responder of a key exchange end up with different keys. Moreover, it may happen that an attacker can decrypt a part of the plaintext protected with the derived encryption key.
Silicon-based polarization-encoding quantum key distribution (QKD) has been widely studied, owing to its low cost and robustness. However, prior studies have utilized off-chip devices to demodulate the quantum states or perform polarization compensation, given the difficulty of fabricating polarized independent components on the chip. In this paper, we propose a fully chip-based decoder for polarization-encoding QKD. The chip realizes a polarization state analyzer and compensates for the BB84 protocol without requiring additional hardware. It is based on a polarization-to-path conversion metho…
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) allows distant parties to exchange cryptographic keys with unconditional security by encoding information on the degrees of freedom of photons. Polarization encoding has been extensively used in QKD implementations along free-space, optical fiber and satellite-based links. However, the polarization encoders used in such implementations are unstable, expensive, complex and can even exhibit side-channels that undermine the security of the implemented protocol. Here we propose a self-compensating polarization encoder based on a Lithium Niobate phase modulator inside…
We demonstrate the decoy-state quantum key distribution over 200 km with photon polarization through optical fiber, by using super-conducting single photon detector with a repetition rate of 320 Mega Hz and a dark count rate of lower than 1 Hz. Since we have used the polarization coding, the synchronization pulses can be run in a low frequency. The final key rate is 14.1 Hz. The experiment lasts for 3089 seconds with 43555 total final bits.
Using spontaneous parametric down-conversion, photon pairs entangled in frequency and polarization were generated. After frequency resolving the photon pairs, the polarization correlations were measured on several polarization basis, and it was confirmed that the frequency resolved photon pairs were entangled in polarization, indicating the photon pairs can be used as a source of wavelength division multiplexing quantum key distribution.
A one-way quantum key distribution scheme based on intrinsically stable Faraday-mirror type Michelson interferometers with four-port polarizing beampslitters has been demonstrated which can compensate for birefringence effects automatically. The encoding is performed with phase modulators, but decoding is accomplished through measurement of the polarization state of Bob's photons. An extinction ratio of about 30dB was maintained for several hours over 50km of fiber at 1310nm without any adjustment to the setup, which shows its good potential for practical systems
The recently proposed phase-matching quantum key distribution offers means to overcome the linear key rate-transmittance bound. Since the key information is encoded onto the phases of coherent states, the misalignment between the two remote reference frames would yield errors and significantly degrade the key generation rate from the ideal case. In this work, we propose a reference-frame-independent design of phase-matching quantum key distribution by introducing high-dimensional key encoding space. With encoded phases spanning the unit circle, the error statistics at arbitrary fixed phase ref…
We demonstrate the decoy-state quantum key distribution (QKD) with one-way quantum communication in polarization space over 102km. Further, we simplify the experimental setup and use only one detector to implement the one-way decoy-state QKD over 75km, with the advantage to overcome the security loopholes due to the efficiency mismatch of detectors. Our experimental implementation can really offer the unconditionally secure final keys. We use 3 different intensities of 0, 0.2 and 0.6 for the pulses of source in our experiment. In order to eliminate the influences of polarization mode dispersio…
To reduce the influence of random channel polarization variation, especially fast polarization perturbation,for continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) systems, a simple and fast polarization tracking algorithm is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The algorithm is implemented by an orthogonal pilot tone scheme, one of the pilot tones is used for estimating the polarization rotation angle, and the other one is used for compensating the polarization perturbation introduced phase noise. Meanwhile, residual effects are compensated precisely with the help of a real-valued FIR …
We show an eavesdropping scheme, by which the eavesdropper can achieve the full information of the key against the protocol [Kye et al., PRL 95 040501 (2005)] with a probability of unity and will not be discovered by the the legitimate users, even in the case that they have the perfect single-photon source and the loseless channel.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) relies on quantum communication to allow distant parties to share a secure cryptographic key. Widespread adoption of QKD in current telecommunication networks will require the development of simple, low cost and stable systems. However, current QKD implementations usually include additional hardware that perform auxiliary tasks such as temporal synchronization and polarization basis tracking. Here we present a polarization-based QKD system operating at 1550 nm that performs synchronization and polarization compensation by exploiting only the hardware already need…
We demonstrate the first implementation of polarization encoding measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD), which is immune to all detector side-channel attacks. Active phase randomization of each individual pulse is implemented to protect against attacks on imperfect sources. By optimizing the parameters in the decoy state protocol, we show that it is feasible to implement polarization encoding MDI-QKD over large optical fiber distances. A 1600-bit secure key is generated between two parties separated by 10 km of telecom fibers. Our work suggests the possibility of bui…
Most polarization-based BB84 quantum key distribution (QKD) systems utilize multiple lasers to generate one of four polarization quantum states randomly. However, random bit generation with multiple lasers can potentially open critical side channels, which significantly endangers the security of QKD systems. In this paper, we show unnoticed side channels of temporal disparity and intensity fluctuation, which possibly exist in the operation of multiple semiconductor laser diodes. Experimental results show that the side channels can enormously degrade security performance of QKD systems. An impo…
Variations of phase-matching measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (PM-MDI QKD) protocols have been investigated before, but it was recently discovered that this type of protocol (under the name of twin-field QKD) can beat the linear scaling of the repeaterless bound on secret key rate capacity. We propose a variation of PM-MDI QKD protocol, which reduces the sifting cost and uses non-phase-randomized coherent states as test states. We provide a security proof in the infinite key limit. Our proof is conceptually simple and gives tight key rates. We obtain an analytical key ra…
We report on an integrated photonic transmitter of up to 100 MHz repetition rate, which emits pulses centered at 850 nm with arbitrary amplitude and polarization. The source is suitable for free space quantum key distribution applications. The whole transmitter, with the optical and electronic components integrated, has reduced size and power consumption. In addition, the optoelectronic components forming the transmitter can be space-qualified, making it suitable for satellite and future space missions.
We present an entangled-state quantum cryptography system that operated for the first time in a real world application scenario. The full key generation protocol was performed in real time between two distributed embedded hardware devices, which were connected by 1.45 km of optical fiber, installed for this experiment in the Vienna sewage system. The generated quantum key was immediately handed over and used by a secure communication application.
We demonstrate a quantum key distribution implementation over deployed dark telecom fibers with polarisation-entangled photons generated at the O-band. One of the photons in the pairs are propagated through 10km of deployed fiber while the others are detected locally. Polarisation drifts experienced by the photons propagating through the fibers are compensated with liquid crystal variable retarders. This ensures continuous and stable QKD operation with an average QBER of 6.4% and a final key rate of 109 bits/s.
The shot-noise unit (SNU) is a crucial factor for the practical security of a continuous-variable quantum key distribution system. In the most widely used experimental scheme, the SNU should be calibrated first and acts as a constant during the key distribution. However, the SNU of a practical system is dependent on the various parameters of the local oscillator, which can be controlled by the eavesdropper in the open channel. In this paper, we report a quantum hacking method to control the practical SNU by using the limited compensation rate of the polarization compensation. Since the compens…
In this paper, a novel semi-quantum key distribution (SQKD) protocol is designed based on single photons in both polarization and spatial-mode degrees of freedom, which allows to establish a raw key between one quantum communicant and one classical communicant. The proposed SQKD protocol only adopts one kind of quantum state as the initial quantum resource. The detailed security analysis shows that it can resist Eve's active attacks, such as the intercept-resend attack, the measure-resend attack, the Trojan horse attack and the entangle-measure attack. The proposed SQKD protocol only needs sin…
We study the frequency-angular lineshape for a phase-matched nonlinear process producing entangled states and show that there is a continuous variety of maximally-entangled states generated for different mismatch values within the natural bandwidth. Detailed considerations are made for two specific methods of polarization entanglement preparation, based on type-II spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) and on SPDC in two subsequent type-I crystals producing orthogonally polarized photon pairs. It turns out that different Bell states are produced at the center of the SPDC line and on its…
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) using polarisation encoding can be hard to implement over deployed telecom fibres because the routing geometry and the birefringence of the fibre link can alter the polarisation states of the propagating photons. These alterations cause a basis mismatch, leading to an increased Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER). In this work we demonstrate a technique for dynamically compensating fibre-induced state alteration in a QKD system over deployed fibre. This compensation scheme includes a feedback loop that minimizes the QBER using a stochastic optimization algorithm.
We propose an auto-compensating differential phase shift scheme for quantum key distribution with a high key-creation efficiency, which skillfully makes use of automatic alignment of the photon polarization states in optical fiber with modified Michelson interferometers composed of unequal arms with Faraday mirrors at the ends. The Faraday-mirrors-based Michelson interferometers not only function as pulse splitters, but also enable inherent compensation of polarization mode dispersion in the optic-fiber paths at both Alice's and Bob's sites. The sequential pulses encoded by differential phase …
Side channel effects such as temporal disparity and intensity fluctuation of photon pulses caused by random bit generation with multiple laser diodes in high-speed polarization-based BB84 quantum key distribution (QKD) systems can be eliminated by increasing DC bias current condition. However, background photons caused by the spontaneous emission process under high DC bias current degrade the performance of the QKD systems. In this study, we investigated, for the first time, the effects of spontaneously emitted photons on the system performance in a high-speed QKD system at a clock rate of 400…
The reconciliation step of continuous-variable quantum key distribution protocols usually involves forward error correction codes. Matching the code rate and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the quantum channel is required to achieve the high reconciliation efficiencies that are crucial for long distance links. Puncturing and shortening is a way to adapt the code rate to the SNR at the cost of a slightly reduced reconciliation efficiencies. Instead of adapting the code rate to the SNR, we propose to add a controlled amount of artificial noise to the measured data, so that the resulting SNR c…
Quantum key distribution allows remote parties to generate information-theoretic secure keys. The bottleneck throttling its real-life applications lies in the limited communication distance and key generation speed, due to the fact that the information carrier can be easily lost in the channel. For all the current implementations, the key rate is bounded by the channel transmission probability, $η$. Rather surprisingly, by matching the phases of two coherent states and encoding the key information into the common phase, this linear key-rate constraint can be overcome---the secure key rate scal…
Robust implementation of quantum key distribution requires precise state generation and measurements, as well as a transmission that is resistant to channel disturbances. However, the choice of the optimal encoding scheme is not trivial and depends on external factors such as the quantum channel. In fact, stable and low-error encoders are available for polarization encoding, suitable for free-space channels, whereas time-bin encoding represent a good candidate for fiber-optic channels, as birefingence does not perturb this kind of states. Here we present a cross-encoded scheme where high accur…
Fiber-based quantum communication networks are currently limited without quantum repeaters. Satellite-based quantum links have been proposed to extend the network domain. We have developed a quantum communication system, suitable for realistic satellite-to-ground communication. With this system, we have executed an entanglement-based quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol developed by Bennett, Brassard, and Mermin in 1992 (BBM92), achieving quantum bit error rates (QBER) below 2$\%$ in all bases. More importantly, we demonstrate low QBER execution of a higher dimensional hyperentanglement-bas…
Calibration of the polarization basis between the transmitter and receiver is an important task in quantum key distribution (QKD). An effective polarization-basis tracking scheme will decrease the quantum bit error rate (QBER) and improve the efficiency of a polarization encoding QKD system. In this paper, we proposed a polarization-basis tracking scheme using only unveiled sifted key bits while performing error correction by legitimate users, rather than introducing additional reference light or interrupting the transmission of quantum signals. A polarization-encoding fiber BB84 QKD prototype…
We propose a multiple pulses phase-matching quantum key distribution protocol (MPPM-QKD) to exceed the linear key rate bound and to achieve higher error tolerance. In our protocol, Alice and Bob generate at first their own train pulses (each train should contain L pulses) as well as random bit sequences, and also encode each pulse of their trains with a randomized phase and a modulation phase. As the next step, both encoded trains are simultaneously sent to Charlie, who performs an interference detection and may be also an eavesdropper. After a successful detection is announced by Charlie, Ali…
We demonstrate a fiber-based source of polarization-entangled photon pairs at visible wavelengths suitable for integration with local quantum processing schemes. The photons are created through birefringent phase-matching in spontaneous four-wave mixing inside a Sagnac interferometer. We address entanglement degradation due to temporal distinguishability of the photons to enable the generation of a spectrally unfiltered polarization-entangled photon-pair state with $95.86\pm0.10%$ fidelity to a maximally entangled Bell state, evaluated with a tomographic state reconstruction without applying a…
Quantum key distribution (QKD) has long been a promising area for application of quantum effects toward solving real-world problems. But two major obstacles have stood in the way of widespread applications: low secure key generation rates and short achievable operating distances. In this paper, a new physical mechanism for dealing with the first of these problems is proposed: interplay between different degrees of freedom in a hyperentangled system (parametric down conversion) is used to increase the Hilbert space dimension available for key generation while maintaining security. Polarization-…
Two time-reversal quantum key distribution (QKD) schemes are the quantum entanglement based device-independent (DI)-QKD and measurement-device-independent (MDI)-QKD. The recently proposed twin field (TF)-QKD, also known as phase-matching (PM)-QKD, has improved the key rate bound from $O\left( η\right )$ to $O\left( \sqrt η \right )$ with $η$ the channel transmittance. In fact, TF-QKD is a kind of MDI-QKD but based on single-photon detection. In this paper, we propose a different PM-QKD based on single-photon entanglement, referred to as single-photon entanglement-based phase-matching (SEPM)-QK…
In this paper, we propose an efficient semiquantum key distribution (SQKD) protocol which is based on single photons in both polarization and spatial-mode degrees of freedom. This protocol is feasible for a quantum communicant distributing a random private key to a classical communicant. This protocol needn't require the classical communicant to use any quantum memory or unitary operation equipment. We validate the complete robustness of the transmissions of single photons between two communicants. It turns out that during these transmissions, if Eve wants not to be detected by two communicant…
