Frequency-bin entanglement-based quantum key distribution
arXiv:2411.07884 · doi:10.1038/s41534-025-00991-5
Abstract
Entanglement is an essential ingredient in many quantum communication protocols. In particular, entanglement can be exploited in quantum key distribution (QKD) to generate two correlated random bit strings whose randomness is guaranteed by the nonlocal property of quantum mechanics. Most of QKD protocols tested to date rely on polarization and/or time-bin encoding. Despite compatibility with existing fiber-optic infrastructure and ease of manipulation with standard components, frequency-bin QKD have not yet been fully explored. Here we report the first demonstration of entanglement-based QKD using frequency-bin encoding. We implement the BBM92 protocol using photon pairs generated by two independent, high-finesse, ring resonators on a silicon photonic chip. We perform a passive basis selection scheme and simultaneously record sixteen projective measurements. A key finding is that frequency-bin encoding is sensitive to the random phase noise induced by thermal fluctuations of the environment. To correct for this effect, we developed a real-time adaptive phase rotation of the measurement basis, achieving stable transmission over a 26 km fiber spool with a secure key rate >= 4.5 bit/s. Our work introduces a new degree of freedom for the realization of entangled based QKD protocols in telecom networks.
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- Energy-time and time-bin entanglement: past, present and future
- Generation of hyperentangled photon pairs in the time and frequency domain on a silicon photonic chip
- Mitigation of birefringence in cavity-based quantum networks using frequency-encoded photons
- Time-resolved certification of frequency-bin entanglement over multi-mode channels
- Gigahertz-rate thin-film lithium niobate receiver for time-bin quantum communication
- Photonic quantum information with time-bins: Principles and applications
- Reduced State Embedding for Error Correction in Quantum Cryptography