Numerical Assessment and Optimization of Discrete-Variable Time-Frequency Quantum Key Distribution

Abstract

The discrete variables (DV) time-frequency (TF) quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol is a BB84 like protocol, which utilizes time and frequency as complementary bases. As orthogonal modulations, pulse position modulation (PPM) and frequency shift keying (FSK) are capable of transmitting several bits per symbol, i.e. per photon. However, unlike traditional binary polarization shift keying, PPM and FSK do not allow perfectly complementary bases. So information is not completely deleted when the wrong-basis filters are applied. Since a general security proof does not yet exist, we numerically assess DV-TF-QKD. We show that the secret key rate increases with a higher number of symbols per basis. Further we identify the optimal pulse relations in the two bases in terms of key rate and resistance against eavesdropping attacks.

9 Pages, 4 Figures

References in corpus (7)

• The Security of Practical Quantum Key Distribution
• Large-Alphabet Time-Frequency Entangled Quantum Key Distribution by means of Time-to-Frequency Conversion
• Unconditional Security of Time-energy Entanglement Quantum Key Distribution using Dual-basis Interferometry
• On Secure Quantum Key Distribution Using Continuous Variables of Single Photons
• Single photon continuous variable quantum key distribution based on energy-time uncertainty relation
• A New Quantum Key Distribution Scheme based on Frequency and Time Coding
• Quantum key distribution based on frequency-time coding: security and feasibility

Cited by in corpus (3)

• 648 Hilbert space dimensionality in a biphoton frequency comb
• Robust spectral phase reconstruction of time-frequency entangled bi-photon states
• Quantum Key Distribution with Basis-Dependent Detection Probability