High-rate intercity quantum key distribution with a semiconductor single-photon source

Jingzhong Yang; Zenghui Jiang; Frederik Benthin; Joscha Hanel; Tom Fandrich; Raphael Joos; Stephanie Bauer; Sascha Kolatschek; Ali Hreibi; Eddy Patrick Rugeramigabo; Michael Jetter; Simone Luca Portalupi; Michael Zopf; Peter Michler; Stefan Kück; Fei Ding

doi:10.1038/s41377-024-01488-0

High-rate intercity quantum key distribution with a semiconductor single-photon source

Jingzhong Yang, Zenghui Jiang, Frederik Benthin, Joscha Hanel, Tom Fandrich, Raphael Joos, Stephanie Bauer, Sascha Kolatschek, Ali Hreibi, Eddy Patrick Rugeramigabo, Michael Jetter, Simone Luca Portalupi, Michael Zopf, Peter Michler, Stefan Kück, Fei Ding^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review

Abstract

Quantum key distribution (QKD) enables the transmission of information that is secure against general attacks by eavesdroppers. The use of on-demand quantum light sources in QKD protocols is expected to help improve security and maximum tolerable loss. Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are a promising building block for quantum communication applications because of the deterministic emission of single photons with high brightness and low multiphoton contribution. Here we report on the first intercity QKD experiment using a bright deterministic single photon source. A BB84 protocol based on polarisation encoding is realised using the high-rate single photons in the telecommunication C-band emitted from a semiconductor QD embedded in a circular Bragg grating structure. Utilising the 79 km long link with 25.49 dB loss (equivalent to 130 km for the direct-connected optical fibre) between the German cities of Hannover and Braunschweig, a record-high secret key bits per pulse of 4.8 × 10⁻⁵ with an average quantum bit error ratio of ~ 0.65% are demonstrated. An asymptotic maximum tolerable loss of 28.11 dB is found, corresponding to a length of 144 km of standard telecommunication fibre. Deterministic semiconductor sources therefore challenge state-of-the-art QKD protocols and have the potential to excel in measurement device independent protocols and quantum repeater applications.

Original language	English
Article number	150
Number of pages	10
Journal	Light: Science and Applications
Volume	13
Issue number	1
E-pub ahead of print	2 Jul 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-024-01488-0
Publication status	Published - Dec 2024

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

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Cite this

Yang, J., Jiang, Z., Benthin, F., Hanel, J., Fandrich, T., Joos, R., Bauer, S., Kolatschek, S., Hreibi, A., Rugeramigabo, E. P., Jetter, M., Portalupi, S. L., Zopf, M., Michler, P., Kück, S., & Ding, F. (2024). High-rate intercity quantum key distribution with a semiconductor single-photon source. Light: Science and Applications, 13(1), Article 150. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-024-01488-0

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title = "High-rate intercity quantum key distribution with a semiconductor single-photon source",

abstract = "Quantum key distribution (QKD) enables the transmission of information that is secure against general attacks by eavesdroppers. The use of on-demand quantum light sources in QKD protocols is expected to help improve security and maximum tolerable loss. Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are a promising building block for quantum communication applications because of the deterministic emission of single photons with high brightness and low multiphoton contribution. Here we report on the first intercity QKD experiment using a bright deterministic single photon source. A BB84 protocol based on polarisation encoding is realised using the high-rate single photons in the telecommunication C-band emitted from a semiconductor QD embedded in a circular Bragg grating structure. Utilising the 79 km long link with 25.49 dB loss (equivalent to 130 km for the direct-connected optical fibre) between the German cities of Hannover and Braunschweig, a record-high secret key bits per pulse of 4.8 × 10−5 with an average quantum bit error ratio of ~ 0.65% are demonstrated. An asymptotic maximum tolerable loss of 28.11 dB is found, corresponding to a length of 144 km of standard telecommunication fibre. Deterministic semiconductor sources therefore challenge state-of-the-art QKD protocols and have the potential to excel in measurement device independent protocols and quantum repeater applications.",

author = "Jingzhong Yang and Zenghui Jiang and Frederik Benthin and Joscha Hanel and Tom Fandrich and Raphael Joos and Stephanie Bauer and Sascha Kolatschek and Ali Hreibi and Rugeramigabo, {Eddy Patrick} and Michael Jetter and Portalupi, {Simone Luca} and Michael Zopf and Peter Michler and Stefan K{\"u}ck and Fei Ding",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2024.",

year = "2024",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1038/s41377-024-01488-0",

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Yang, J, Jiang, Z, Benthin, F, Hanel, J, Fandrich, T, Joos, R, Bauer, S, Kolatschek, S, Hreibi, A, Rugeramigabo, EP, Jetter, M, Portalupi, SL, Zopf, M, Michler, P, Kück, S & Ding, F 2024, 'High-rate intercity quantum key distribution with a semiconductor single-photon source', Light: Science and Applications, vol. 13, no. 1, 150. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-024-01488-0

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AU - Yang, Jingzhong

AU - Jiang, Zenghui

AU - Benthin, Frederik

AU - Hanel, Joscha

AU - Fandrich, Tom

AU - Joos, Raphael

AU - Bauer, Stephanie

AU - Kolatschek, Sascha

AU - Hreibi, Ali

AU - Rugeramigabo, Eddy Patrick

AU - Jetter, Michael

AU - Portalupi, Simone Luca

AU - Zopf, Michael

AU - Michler, Peter

AU - Kück, Stefan

AU - Ding, Fei

PY - 2024/12

Y1 - 2024/12

N2 - Quantum key distribution (QKD) enables the transmission of information that is secure against general attacks by eavesdroppers. The use of on-demand quantum light sources in QKD protocols is expected to help improve security and maximum tolerable loss. Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are a promising building block for quantum communication applications because of the deterministic emission of single photons with high brightness and low multiphoton contribution. Here we report on the first intercity QKD experiment using a bright deterministic single photon source. A BB84 protocol based on polarisation encoding is realised using the high-rate single photons in the telecommunication C-band emitted from a semiconductor QD embedded in a circular Bragg grating structure. Utilising the 79 km long link with 25.49 dB loss (equivalent to 130 km for the direct-connected optical fibre) between the German cities of Hannover and Braunschweig, a record-high secret key bits per pulse of 4.8 × 10−5 with an average quantum bit error ratio of ~ 0.65% are demonstrated. An asymptotic maximum tolerable loss of 28.11 dB is found, corresponding to a length of 144 km of standard telecommunication fibre. Deterministic semiconductor sources therefore challenge state-of-the-art QKD protocols and have the potential to excel in measurement device independent protocols and quantum repeater applications.

AB - Quantum key distribution (QKD) enables the transmission of information that is secure against general attacks by eavesdroppers. The use of on-demand quantum light sources in QKD protocols is expected to help improve security and maximum tolerable loss. Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are a promising building block for quantum communication applications because of the deterministic emission of single photons with high brightness and low multiphoton contribution. Here we report on the first intercity QKD experiment using a bright deterministic single photon source. A BB84 protocol based on polarisation encoding is realised using the high-rate single photons in the telecommunication C-band emitted from a semiconductor QD embedded in a circular Bragg grating structure. Utilising the 79 km long link with 25.49 dB loss (equivalent to 130 km for the direct-connected optical fibre) between the German cities of Hannover and Braunschweig, a record-high secret key bits per pulse of 4.8 × 10−5 with an average quantum bit error ratio of ~ 0.65% are demonstrated. An asymptotic maximum tolerable loss of 28.11 dB is found, corresponding to a length of 144 km of standard telecommunication fibre. Deterministic semiconductor sources therefore challenge state-of-the-art QKD protocols and have the potential to excel in measurement device independent protocols and quantum repeater applications.

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JO - Light: Science and Applications

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ER -

High-rate intercity quantum key distribution with a semiconductor single-photon source

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MiNet: Large-scale multipartite entanglement on a quantum metrology network

QuantumFrontiers: Cluster of Excellence 2123/1: Light and Matter at the Quantum Frontier

QD-NOMS: Elementary quantum dot networks enabled by on-chip nano-optomechanical systems

Zeit und Frequenz synchronisierte Langstrecken-Quantenkommunikation (InterSync)

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High-rate intercity quantum key distribution with a semiconductor single-photon source

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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Projects

MiNet: Large-scale multipartite entanglement on a quantum metrology network

QuantumFrontiers: Cluster of Excellence 2123/1: Light and Matter at the Quantum Frontier

QD-NOMS: Elementary quantum dot networks enabled by on-chip nano-optomechanical systems

Equipment

Zeit und Frequenz synchronisierte Langstrecken-Quantenkommunikation (InterSync)

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