A quantum access network

By B. Fröhlich, James F. Dynes, Marco Lucamarini, A. Sharpe, Zhiliang Yuan, Andrew J. Shields. Nature, 2013

319 citations recorded by the source corpus.

The theoretically proven security of quantum key distribution (QKD) could revolutionize the way in which information exchange is protected in the future. Several field tests of QKD have proven it to be a reliable technology for cryptographic key exchange and have demonstrated nodal networks of point-to-point links. However, until now no convincing answer has been given to the question of how to extend the scope of QKD beyond niche applications in dedicated high security networks. Here we introduce and experimentally demonstrate the concept of a ‘quantum access network’: based on simple and cost-effective telecommunication technologies, the scheme can greatly expand the number of users in quantum networks and therefore vastly broaden their appeal. We show that a high-speed single-photon detector positioned at a network node can be shared between up to 64 users for exchanging secret keys with the node, thereby significantly reducing the hardware requirements for each user added to the network. This point-to-multipoint architecture removes one of the main obstacles restricting the widespread application of QKD. It presents a viable method for realizing multi-user QKD networks with efficient use of resources, and brings QKD closer to becoming a widespread technology.

Subfields: Artificial Intelligence, Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/02f48a793b23a569a29d30719091769add3e5c6f

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Artificial Intelligence

1. Kiyoshi Tamaki
2. Hoi-Kwong Lo
3. Marcos Curty
4. Xiongfeng Ma
5. M. Krelina
6. Lixing You
7. Pei Zeng
8. Hongyi Zhou

In Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

1. Kiyoshi Tamaki
2. Hoi-Kwong Lo
3. Marcos Curty
4. Xiongfeng Ma
5. M. Krelina
6. Lixing You
7. Pei Zeng
8. Hongyi Zhou

Citations in the corpus

• Secure quantum key distribution (2014, methodology): “3b compares the upstream passive quantum access network implemented by Toshiba [16] with a downstream approach, whereas Fig.”
• Twin-field quantum key distribution over 830-km fibre (2019, background): “Compared with the point-topoint QKD, the network of quantum communication based on QKD is more realistic and useful [46, 47], and generally requires asymmetric channels.”
• Practical challenges in quantum key distribution (2016, unknown): “61,68 Room-temperature single-photon detectors have been shown to be suitable for DV-QKD over up to 100 km fi bre, thus removing cooling requirements for the entire QKD system; 44,69 for CV-QKD cooling is unnecessary.”