Year: 2025
Type: preprint
Abstract: Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a key application in quantum communication, enabling secure key exchange between parties using quantum states. Twin-field (TF) QKD offers a promising solution that surpasses the repeaterless limits, and its measurement-device-independent nature makes it suitable for star-type network architectures. In this work, we propose a scalable TF-QKD network with adaptable architecture, where users prepare quantum signals and send them to network nodes. These nodes use an optical switch to route the signals to multi-user measurement units, enabling secure key distribution among arbitrary users and adapting to complex connection demands of the network. A proof-of-principle demonstration with three users successfully achieved secure key sharing over simulated link losses of up to $30$ dB, with an average rate of $19.57$ bit/s. Additionally, simulations show that the proposed architecture can achieve a total secure key rate of $4.84 \times 10^{4}$ bit/s at $100$ km in a symmetric $32$-user network. This approach represents a significant advancement in the topology of untrusted-node QKD networks and holds promise for practical, large-scale applications in secure communication.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Huang, Chunfeng, Guan, Rui, Liu, Xin, He, Wenjie, Li, Shizhuo, Liang, Hao, Luo, Ziyang, Zhang, Zhenrong, Li, Wei, Wei, Kejin
Language: English
Subfield: Artificial Intelligence
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G4493657531, G6236065808
OpenAlex ID: W4415035341
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