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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 35: Quantum Information (Quantum Communication) II
Q 35.2: Talk
Wednesday, March 16, 2022, 14:15–14:30, Q-H12
A portable decoy-state QKD sender — •Michael Auer1,2,3, Peter Freiwang1,2, Adomas Baliuka1,2, Lukas Knips1,2,4, and Harald Weinfurter1,2,4 — 1Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany — 2Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology, Munich, Germany — 3Universität der Bundeswehr München, Neubiberg, Germany — 4Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Garching, Germany
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) enables secure key exchange, based on fundamental laws of quantum mechanics. Widespread commercial use of this technology requires robust and scalable QKD modules with low cost, size, weight and maintenance.
Here we present a small-size, low-power, FPGA-controlled QKD sender electronics used to drive an array of four vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) at 100MHz. The sender is capable of implementing a decoy-state BB84 protocol with four separate driving lanes to create short electrical signals, which allow to individually adjust the pulse-shape and timing for the respective laser diode. With the goal to keep the optics small and mostly passive, the different optical intensities needed for the decoy protocol are created electronically.
Our module enables classical communication and synchronization by modulating a beacon laser, which can be also used for beam tracking. The sender is powered and operated only via a single USB-C host, and features a low power consumption of around 10 watts in total. This, together with its compact size and weight makes it suitable for a broad spectrum of future applications.