Clock-offset recovery with sublinear complexity enables synchronization on low-level hardware for quantum key distribution
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: We introduce iQSync, a clock-offset recovery method designed for implementation on low-level hardware, such as field-programmable gate arrays or microcontrollers, for quantum key distribution (QKD). iQSync requires minimal memory, only a simple instruction set (e.g., no floating-point operations), and can be evaluated with sublinear time complexity, typically involving no more than a few thousand iterations of a simple loop. Furthermore, iQSync allows for a precise clock-offset recovery within a few seconds, even for large offsets, and is well suited for scenarios with high channel loss and low signal-to-noise ratio, irrespective of the prepare-and-measure QKD protocol used. We implemented the method on our QKD platform, demonstrating its performance and conformity with analytically derived success probabilities for channel attenuations exceeding 70 dB .
Source: Physical Review Applied
Authors: Jan Krause, Nino Walenta, Jonas Hilt, Ronald Freund
Language: English
Subfield: Artificial Intelligence
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4409215328