High-Dimensional Quantum Key Distribution with Qubit-like States

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Scarfe, Lukas, Abolhassani, Rojan, Bouchard, Frédéric, Goldberg, Aaron, Heshami, Khabat, Di Colandrea, Francesco, Karimi, Ebrahim
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Scarfe, Lukas
Abolhassani, Rojan
Bouchard, Frédéric
Goldberg, Aaron
Heshami, Khabat
Di Colandrea, Francesco
Karimi, Ebrahim
author_facet Scarfe, Lukas
Abolhassani, Rojan
Bouchard, Frédéric
Goldberg, Aaron
Heshami, Khabat
Di Colandrea, Francesco
Karimi, Ebrahim
contents Quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols most often use two conjugate bases in order to verify the security of the quantum channel. In the majority of protocols, these bases are mutually unbiased to one another, which is to say they are formed from balanced superpositions of the entire set of states in the opposing basis. Here, we introduce a high-dimensional QKD protocol using qubit-like states, referred to as Fourier-qubits (or $\textit{F}$-qubits). In our scheme, each $\textit{F}$-qubit is a superposition of only two computational basis states with a relative phase that can take $d$ distinct values, where $d$ is the dimension of the computational basis. This non-mutually unbiased approach allows us to bound the information leaked to an eavesdropper, maintaining security in high-dimensional quantum systems despite the states' seemingly two-dimensional nature. By simplifying state preparation and measurement, our protocol offers a practical alternative for secure high-dimensional quantum communications. We experimentally demonstrate this protocol for a noisy high-dimensional QKD channel using the orbital angular momentum degree of freedom of light and discuss the potential benefits for encoding in other degrees of freedom.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_03893
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle High-Dimensional Quantum Key Distribution with Qubit-like States
Scarfe, Lukas
Abolhassani, Rojan
Bouchard, Frédéric
Goldberg, Aaron
Heshami, Khabat
Di Colandrea, Francesco
Karimi, Ebrahim
Quantum Physics
Optics
Quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols most often use two conjugate bases in order to verify the security of the quantum channel. In the majority of protocols, these bases are mutually unbiased to one another, which is to say they are formed from balanced superpositions of the entire set of states in the opposing basis. Here, we introduce a high-dimensional QKD protocol using qubit-like states, referred to as Fourier-qubits (or $\textit{F}$-qubits). In our scheme, each $\textit{F}$-qubit is a superposition of only two computational basis states with a relative phase that can take $d$ distinct values, where $d$ is the dimension of the computational basis. This non-mutually unbiased approach allows us to bound the information leaked to an eavesdropper, maintaining security in high-dimensional quantum systems despite the states' seemingly two-dimensional nature. By simplifying state preparation and measurement, our protocol offers a practical alternative for secure high-dimensional quantum communications. We experimentally demonstrate this protocol for a noisy high-dimensional QKD channel using the orbital angular momentum degree of freedom of light and discuss the potential benefits for encoding in other degrees of freedom.
title High-Dimensional Quantum Key Distribution with Qubit-like States
topic Quantum Physics
Optics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.03893