Scalable twin-field quantum key distribution network enabled by adaptable architecture

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Huang, Chunfeng, Guan, Rui, Liu, Xin, He, Wenjie, Li, Shizhuo, Liang, Hao, Luo, Ziyang, Zhang, Zhenrong, Li, Wei, Wei, Kejin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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_version_ 1866909624469291008
author Huang, Chunfeng
Guan, Rui
Liu, Xin
He, Wenjie
Li, Shizhuo
Liang, Hao
Luo, Ziyang
Zhang, Zhenrong
Li, Wei
Wei, Kejin
author_facet Huang, Chunfeng
Guan, Rui
Liu, Xin
He, Wenjie
Li, Shizhuo
Liang, Hao
Luo, Ziyang
Zhang, Zhenrong
Li, Wei
Wei, Kejin
contents Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a key application in quantum communication, enabling secure key exchange between parties using quantum states. Twin-field (TF) QKD offers a promising solution that surpasses the repeaterless limits, and its measurement-device-independent nature makes it suitable for star-type network architectures. In this work, we propose a scalable TF-QKD network with adaptable architecture, where users prepare quantum signals and send them to network nodes. These nodes use an optical switch to route the signals to multi-user measurement units, enabling secure key distribution among arbitrary users and adapting to complex connection demands of the network. A proof-of-principle demonstration with three users successfully achieved secure key sharing over simulated link losses of up to $30$ dB, with an average rate of $19.57$ bit/s. Additionally, simulations show that the proposed architecture can achieve a total secure key rate of $4.84 \times 10^{4}$ bit/s at $100$ km in a symmetric $32$-user network. This approach represents a significant advancement in the topology of untrusted-node QKD networks and holds promise for practical, large-scale applications in secure communication.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_15137
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Scalable twin-field quantum key distribution network enabled by adaptable architecture
Huang, Chunfeng
Guan, Rui
Liu, Xin
He, Wenjie
Li, Shizhuo
Liang, Hao
Luo, Ziyang
Zhang, Zhenrong
Li, Wei
Wei, Kejin
Quantum Physics
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a key application in quantum communication, enabling secure key exchange between parties using quantum states. Twin-field (TF) QKD offers a promising solution that surpasses the repeaterless limits, and its measurement-device-independent nature makes it suitable for star-type network architectures. In this work, we propose a scalable TF-QKD network with adaptable architecture, where users prepare quantum signals and send them to network nodes. These nodes use an optical switch to route the signals to multi-user measurement units, enabling secure key distribution among arbitrary users and adapting to complex connection demands of the network. A proof-of-principle demonstration with three users successfully achieved secure key sharing over simulated link losses of up to $30$ dB, with an average rate of $19.57$ bit/s. Additionally, simulations show that the proposed architecture can achieve a total secure key rate of $4.84 \times 10^{4}$ bit/s at $100$ km in a symmetric $32$-user network. This approach represents a significant advancement in the topology of untrusted-node QKD networks and holds promise for practical, large-scale applications in secure communication.
title Scalable twin-field quantum key distribution network enabled by adaptable architecture
topic Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.15137