Fully passive reference frame independent quantum key distribution

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ying, Jia-Wei, Gu, Shi-Pu, Wang, Xing-Fu, Zhou, Lan, Sheng, Yu-Bo
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866916701905354752
author Ying, Jia-Wei
Gu, Shi-Pu
Wang, Xing-Fu
Zhou, Lan
Sheng, Yu-Bo
author_facet Ying, Jia-Wei
Gu, Shi-Pu
Wang, Xing-Fu
Zhou, Lan
Sheng, Yu-Bo
contents Reference-frame-independent quantum key distribution (RFI QKD) significantly alleviates alignment requirements for reference frame in practical quantum communication systems. While the original protocol requires Alice to prepare six quantum states in $Z$, $X$, and $Y$ bases, its reliance on active modulation introduces inherent side-channel vulnerabilities from device imperfections. We address this security limitation by integrating a fully passive source into the RFI framework. In this paper, we propose a fully passive RFI QKD protocol. Our protocol avoids active modulation entirely, suppressing side-channel risks through passive quantum state generation. Moreover, by making full utilization of the quantum states generated by the fully passive source, we enhance the secure key rate of fully passive protocol. We establish a system model to analyze the performance of the protocol. Through the optimization of post-selection intervals and intensities, we obtain the maximum secure key transmission rate of the protocol. Under ideal circumstances, the secure key transmission rate of our protocol can reach more than 50% of that of the ideal QKD. Under practical conditions, we have considered the finite-length effect. When pulse number generated by the source reaches $10^{12}$, the maximum communication distances of the protocol can reach 167 km and 136 km with a reference frame misalignment of $0 $ and $45^{\circ} $ respectively. We believe that our protocol can contribute to the development of practical QKD systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_15528
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Fully passive reference frame independent quantum key distribution
Ying, Jia-Wei
Gu, Shi-Pu
Wang, Xing-Fu
Zhou, Lan
Sheng, Yu-Bo
Quantum Physics
Reference-frame-independent quantum key distribution (RFI QKD) significantly alleviates alignment requirements for reference frame in practical quantum communication systems. While the original protocol requires Alice to prepare six quantum states in $Z$, $X$, and $Y$ bases, its reliance on active modulation introduces inherent side-channel vulnerabilities from device imperfections. We address this security limitation by integrating a fully passive source into the RFI framework. In this paper, we propose a fully passive RFI QKD protocol. Our protocol avoids active modulation entirely, suppressing side-channel risks through passive quantum state generation. Moreover, by making full utilization of the quantum states generated by the fully passive source, we enhance the secure key rate of fully passive protocol. We establish a system model to analyze the performance of the protocol. Through the optimization of post-selection intervals and intensities, we obtain the maximum secure key transmission rate of the protocol. Under ideal circumstances, the secure key transmission rate of our protocol can reach more than 50% of that of the ideal QKD. Under practical conditions, we have considered the finite-length effect. When pulse number generated by the source reaches $10^{12}$, the maximum communication distances of the protocol can reach 167 km and 136 km with a reference frame misalignment of $0 $ and $45^{\circ} $ respectively. We believe that our protocol can contribute to the development of practical QKD systems.
title Fully passive reference frame independent quantum key distribution
topic Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.15528