Time bin quantum key distribution protocols for free space communications

Alfonso Tello Castillo; Elizabeth Eso; Ross Donaldson

doi:10.1117/12.2632286

4 October 2022 Time bin quantum key distribution protocols for free space communications

Alfonso Tello Castillo, Elizabeth Eso, Ross Donaldson

Proceedings Volume 12238, Quantum Communications and Quantum Imaging XX; 122380E (2022) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2632286
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2022, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a promising technology to enable secure cryptography after quantum computers have been developed. It allows for a key growing protocol that permits creating absolutely random keys to be used in the onetime pad codification scheme. Enabling a global QKD network is one of the final goals of the field. However, to do this with conventional optical fibres presents a fundamental limitation due to their intrinsic loss. Free-space, and specifically satellite links, have been proposed as an alternative and have gathered a lot of interest in recent years. They are considered one of the best candidates to enable a global network. Free-space QKD implementations are dominated by polarisation encoding protocols due to the relative transparency of the atmosphere to polarization. Nonetheless, time-bin and phase codifications offer some advantages and can be practical thanks to new passive interferometer designs. In this paper, the first free-space Coherent One-Way (COW) implementation is reported, some design considerations are commented, and the results of the experiment are shown. These show how time-bin/phase codifications are interesting candidates for free-space QKD.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

Alfonso Tello Castillo, Elizabeth Eso, and Ross Donaldson "Time bin quantum key distribution protocols for free space communications", Proc. SPIE 12238, Quantum Communications and Quantum Imaging XX, 122380E (4 October 2022); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2632286

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