Optical transmitter tunable over a 65-nm wavelength range around 1550 nm for quantum key distribution
arXiv:2310.11794 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevApplied.20.044040
Abstract
The ability to create phase-controlled pulses of light with wavelength tunability has applications spanning quantum and classical communications networks. Traditionally, optical transmitters are able to either produce phase-controlled pulses at a fixed wavelength or require a chain of bulky and expensive external modulators to convert wavelength tunable continuous-wave light into optical pulses. One technology of great interest is quantum key distribution (QKD), a technology for generating perfectly random keys at remote nodes to ensure secure communications. Environments such as data centers, where the user needs change regularly, will require adaptability in the deployment of QKD to integrate into classical optical networks. Here we propose and demonstrate an alternative quantum transmitter design consisting of a multimodal Fabry-Perot laser optically injection locked by a wavelength tunable laser. The transmitter is able to produce phase-controlled optical pulses at GHz speeds with a tunable wavelength range of >65nm centered at 1550 nm. With this transmitter, we perform proof-of-principle QKD with secure bit rates of order Mb/s.
References in corpus (8)
- Experimental quantum key distribution beyond the repeaterless secret key capacity
- Discrete-phase-randomized coherent state source and its application in quantum key distribution
- Gigahertz measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution using directly modulated lasers
- Advanced Laser Technology for Quantum Communications (Tutorial Review)
- Interference between independent photonic integrated devices for quantum key distribution
- Efficient quantum key distribution with practical sources and detectors
- Modulator-free coherent-one-way quantum key distribution
- Self-Tuning Transmitter for Quantum Key Distribution Using Machine Intelligence