We analyze the significance for quantum key distribution (QKD) of free-space quantum communications results reported in a recent paper (J. C. Bienfang et al., quant-ph/0405097, hereafter referred to as "Bienfang et al."), who contrast the quantum communications rate of their partial QKD implementation (which does not produce cryptographically useful shared, secret keys) over a short transmission distance, with the secret bit rates of previous full QKD implementations over much longer distances. We show that when a cryptographically relevant comparison with previous results is made, the system described by Bienfang et al. would offer no advantages for QKD, contrary to assertions in their paper and in spite of its high clock rate. Further, we show that the claim made by Bienfang et al. that "high transmission rates serve ... to extend the distance over which a QKD system can operate" is incorrect. Our analysis illustrates an important aspect of QKD that is too often overlooked in experiments: the sifted bit rate can be a highly misleading indicator of the performance of a QKD system.
We demonstrate a 6 Gbps real-time optical quantum random number generator by measuring vacuum fluctuation. To address the common problem that speed gap exists between fast randomness generation and slow randomness extraction in most high-speed real-time quantum random number generator systems, we present an optimized extraction algorithm based on parallel implementation of Toeplitz hashing to reduce the influence of classical noise due to the imperfection of devices. Notably, the real-time rate of randomness extraction we have achieved reaches the highest speed of 12 Gbps by occupying less com…
We present a random number generation scheme based on measuring the phase fluctuations of a laser with a simple and compact experimental setup. A simple model is established to analyze the randomness and the simulation result based on this model fits well with the experiment data. After the analog to digital sampling and suitable randomness extraction integrated in the field programmable gate array, the final random bits are delivered to a PC, realizing a 5.4 Gbps real time quantum random number generation. The final random bit sequences have passed all the NIST and DIEHARD tests.
We have demonstrated the exchange of sifted quantum cryptographic key over a 730 meter free-space link at rates of up to 1.0 Mbps, two orders of magnitude faster than previously reported results. A classical channel at 1550 nm operates in parallel with a quantum channel at 845 nm. Clock recovery techniques on the classical channel at 1.25 Gbps enable quantum transmission at up to the clock rate. System performance is currently limited by the timing resolution of our silicon avalanche photodiode detectors. With improved detector resolution, our technique will yield another order of magnitude in…
Emerging communication and cryptography applications call for reliable, fast, unpredictable random number generators. Quantum random number generation (QRNG) allows for the creation of truly unpredictable numbers thanks to the inherent randomness available in quantum mechanics. A popular approach is using the quantum vacuum state to generate random numbers. While convenient, this approach was generally limited in speed compared to other schemes. Here, through custom co-design of opto-electronic integrated circuits and side-information reduction by digital filtering, we experimentally demonstra…
The channel loss incurred in long-distance transmission places a significant burden on quantum key distribution (QKD) systems: they must defeat a passive eavesdropper who detects all the light lost in the quantum channel and does so without disturbing the light that reaches the intended destination. The current QKD implementation with the highest long-distance secret-key rate meets this challenge by transmitting no more than one photon per bit [Opt. Express 21, 24550-24565 (2013)]. As a result, it cannot achieve the Gbps secret-key rate needed for one-time pad encryption of large data files un…
Continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) has potential advantages of high secret key rate, which is very suitable for high-speed metropolitan network application. However, the reported highest secret key rates of the CVQKD systems up to now are limited in a few Mbps. Here, we address the fundamental experimental problems and demonstrate a single-carrier four-state CVQKD with sub-Gbps key rate within metropolitan area. In the demonstrated four-state CVQKD using local local oscillator, an ultra-low level of excess noise is obtained and a high efficient post-processing setup is design…
We experimentally characterize photon leakage from 112Gbps data channels in both non-trench and trench-assistant 7-core fibers, demonstrating telecom compatibility for QKD co-existing with high-speed data transmission when a proper core/wavelength allocation is carried out.
The speed of a quantum random number generator is essential for practical applications, such as high-speed quantum key distribution systems. Here, we push the speed of a quantum random number generator to 68 Gbps by operating a laser around its threshold level. To achieve the rate, not only high-speed photodetector and high sampling rate are needed, but also a very stable interferometer is required. A practical interferometer with active feedback instead of common temperature control is developed to meet requirement of stability. Phase fluctuations of the laser are measured by the interferomet…
We present a real-time and fully integrated quantum random number generator (QRNG) by measuring laser phase fluctuations. The QRNG scheme based on laser phase fluctuations is featured for its capability of generating ultra high-speed random numbers. However, the speed bottleneck of a practical QRNG lies on the limited speed of randomness extraction. To close the gap between the fast randomness generation and the slow post-processing, we propose a pipeline extraction algorithm based on Toeplitz matrix hashing and implement it in a high-speed field-programmable gate array. Further, all the QRNG …
Random numbers are commonly used in many different fields, ranging from simulations in fundamental science to security applications. In some critical cases, as Bell's tests and cryptography, the random numbers are required to be both secure (i.e. known only by the legitimate user) and to be provided at an ultra-fast rate (i.e. larger than Gbit/s). However, practical generators are usually considered trusted, but their security can be compromised in case of imperfections or malicious external actions. In this work we introduce an efficient protocol which guarantees security and speed in the gen…
Quantum random number generators (QRNGs) can produce true random numbers. Yet, the two most important QRNG parameters highly desired for practical applications, i.e., speed and size, have to be compromised during implementations. Here, we present the fastest and miniaturized QRNG with a record real-time output rate as high as 18.8 Gbps by combining a photonic integrated chip and the technology of optimized randomness extraction. We assemble the photonic integrated circuit designed for vacuum state QRNG implementation, InGaAs homodyne detector and high-bandwidth transimpedance amplifier into a …
Quantum random number generators are a burgeoning technology used for a variety of applications, including modern security and encryption systems. Typical methods exploit an entropy source combined with an extraction or bit generation circuit in order to produce a random string. In integrated designs there is often little modelling or analytical description of the entropy source, circuit extraction and post-processing provided. In this work, we first discuss theory on the quantum random flip-flop (QRFF), which elucidates the role of circuit imperfections that manifest themselves in bias and co…
This paper shall investigate Yuen protocol, so called Y-00, which can realize a randomized stream cipher with high bit rate(Gbps) for long distance(several hundreds km). The randomized stream cipher with randomization by quantum noise based on Y-00 is called quantum stream cipher in this paper, and it may have security against known plaintext attacks which has no analog with any conventional symmetric key ciphers. We present a simple cryptanalysis based on an attacker's heterodyne measurement and the quantum unambiguous measurement to make clear the strength of Y-00 in real communication. In a…
We propose a two-way secure-communication protocol in which Alice uses an amplified spontaneous emission source while Bob employs binary phase-shift keying and an optical amplifier. Against an eavesdropper who captures all the light lost in fibers linking Alice and Bob, this protocol is capable of 3.5 Gbps quantum-secured direct communication at 50 km range. If Alice augments her terminal with a spontaneous parametric downconverter and both Alice and Bob add channel monitors, they can realize 2 Gbps quantum key distribution at that range against an eavesdropper who injects her own light into B…
Floodlight quantum key distribution (FL-QKD) uses binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) of multiple optical modes to achieve Gbps secret-key rates (SKRs) at metropolitan-area distances. We show that FL-QKD's SKR can be doubled by using 32-ary PSK.
We demonstrate the distribution of polarization-entangled photons for the purpose of quantum key distribution (QKD) along active telecom fibers. Entangled photon pairs of 810 nm wavelength generated by a Sagnac interferometer source were coupled into standard telecom single mode fibers. The fibers were either dark or carrying a standardized 1550 nm ethernet signals (1000BASE-ZX) with a nominal speed of 1 GBps from regular media converter devices, without any requirements on the optical power or spectrum transmitted. Our system demonstrates a QKD network covering 6 km in distance with a central…
We propose and investigate a fibre-based quantum key distribution system, which employs polarization qubits encoded into faint laser pulses. As a novel feature, it allows sending of classical framing information via sequences of strong laser pulses that precede the quantum data. This allows synchronization, sender and receiver identification, and compensation of time-varying birefringence in the communication channel. Furthermore, this method also provides a platform to communicate implementation specific information such as encoding and protocol in view of future optical quantum networks. All…
Security proofs of quantum key distribution (QKD) systems usually assume that the users have access to source of perfect randomness. State-of-the-art QKD systems run at frequencies in the GHz range, requiring a sustained GHz rate of generation and acquisition of quantum random numbers. In this paper we demonstrate such a high speed random number generator. The entropy source is based on amplified spontaneous emission from an erbium-doped fibre, which is directly acquired using a standard small form-factor pluggable (SFP) module. The module connects to the Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) o…
We perform quantum key distribution (QKD) in the presence of 4 classical channels in a C-band dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) configuration using a commercial QKD system. The classical channels are used for key distillation and 1 Gbps encrypted communication, rendering the entire system independent from any other communication channel than a single dedicated fibre. We successfully distil secret keys over fibre spans of up to 50 km. The separation between quantum channel and nearest classical channel is only 200 GHz, while the classical channels are all separated by 100 GHz. In ad…
We demonstrate a high bit-rate quantum random number generator by interferometric detection of phase diffusion in a gain-switched DFB laser diode. Gain switching at few-GHz frequencies produces a train of bright pulses with nearly equal amplitudes and random phases. An unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer is used to interfere subsequent pulses and thereby generate strong random-amplitude pulses, which are detected and digitized to produce a high-rate random bit string. Using established models of semiconductor laser field dynamics, we predict a regime of high visibility interference and near…
Privacy amplification is an indispensable step in postprocessing of continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD), which is used to distill unconditional secure keys from identical corrected keys between two distant legal parties. The processing speed of privacy amplification has a significant effect on the secret key rate of CV-QKD system. We report the high-speed parallel implementation of length-compatible privacy amplification algorithm based on graphic processing unit. Length-compatible algorithm is used to satisfy the security requirement of privacy amplification at different tra…
Random numbers are a fundamental resource in science and technology. Among the different approaches to generating them, random numbers created by exploiting the laws of quantum mechanics have proven to be reliable and can be produced at enough rates for their practical use. While these demonstrations have shown very good performance, most of the implementations using free-space and fibre optics, suffer from limitations due to their size, which strongly limits their practical use. Here we report a quantum random number generator based on phase fluctuations from a diode laser, where the other re…
Quantum random number generation exploits inherent randomness of quantum mechanical processes and measurements. Real-time generation rate of quantum random numbers is usually limited by electronic bandwidth and data processing rates. Here we use a multiplexing scheme to create a fast real-time quantum random number generator based on continuous variable vacuum fluctuations. Multiple sideband frequency modes of a quantum vacuum state within a homodyne detection bandwidth are concurrently extracted as the randomness source. Parallel post-processing of raw data from three sub-entropy sources is r…
Quantum key distribution (QKD) can distribute symmetric key bits between remote legitimate users with the guarantee of quantum mechanics principles. For practical applications, the compact and robust photonic components for QKD are essential, and there are increasing attention to integrate the source, detector and modulators on a photonic chip. However, the massive and parallel QKD based on wavelength multiplexing are still challenge, due to the limited coherent light sources on the chip. Here, we introduce the Kerr dissipative soliton in a microresonator, which provides the locked coherent fr…
What obstructs the realization of useful quantum cryptography is single photon scheme, or entanglement which is not applicable to the current infrastructure of optical communication network. We are concerned with the following question: Can we realize the information theoretically secure symmetric key cipher under "the finite secret key" based on quantum-optical communications? A role of quantum information theory is to give an answer for such a question. As an answer for the question, a new quantum cryptography was proposed by H.P.Yuen, which can realize a secure symmetric key cipher with hig…
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 …
We demonstrate on-chip quantum random number generation at high data rates using the random phases of gain-switched laser pulses. Interference of the gain-switched pulses produced by two independent semiconductor lasers is performed on a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) and the resulting pulse train is received and processed in real-time using homebuilt capture electronics consisting a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and a 10-bit digitizer. Random numbers with low correlation coefficient are shown for pulse clock rates of 1 GHz and data rates of 8 Gbps. The random numbers are also shown …
Quantum entanglement distribution coexisting with high-rate, broadband classical optical communications over a real-world fiber connecting remote, synchronized nodes
Northwestern University（西北大学）；University of Naples Federico II（那不勒斯费德里科二世大学）；Ciena Corporation（西纳公司）
Quantum random number generators (QRNG) based on continuous variable (CV) quantum fluctuations offer great potential for their advantages in measurement bandwidth, stability and integrability. More importantly, it provides an efficient and extensible path for significant promotion of QRNG generation rate. During this process, real-time randomness extraction using information theoretically secure randomness extractors is vital, because it plays critical role in the limit of throughput rate and implementation cost of QRNGs. In this work, we investigate parallel and real-time realization of sever…
