Work

Suppression of patterning effect using IQ modulator for high-speed quantum key distribution systems

Year: 2023

Type: article

Abstract: Quantum key distribution (QKD) is an attractive technology for distributing secret encryption keys between distant users. The decoy-state technique has drastically improved its practicality and performance, and has been widely adopted in commercial systems. However, conventional intensity modulators can introduce security side channels in high speed QKD systems because of their non-stationary working points for decoy-state generation. Here, we analyze the transfer function of an in-phase/quadrature (IQ) modulator and reveal its superiority for stable decoy-state generation, followed by an experimental demonstration. Thanks to their convenient two-level modulation and inherent high speed, IQ modulators are ideal for use in high-speed decoy-state QKD systems.

Source: Optics Letters

DOI: 10.1364/ol.481374

Authors: Yuanfei Gao, Zhiliang Yuan

Institution: Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Quantum Information and Cryptography

Subfield: Artificial Intelligence

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China

Award: G8677969742