Robust polarization state generation for long-range quantum key distribution

We present a new compact and robust polarization state transmitter designed to execute the BB84 quantum key distribution protocol. Our transmitter prepares polarization states using a single commercial-off-the-shelf phase modulator. Our scheme does not require global biasing to compensate thermal an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Optics express 2023-04, Vol.31 (9), p.13700
Main Authors: Stein, Abigail, López Grande, Ignacio H, Castelvero, Lorenzo, Pruneri, Valerio
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We present a new compact and robust polarization state transmitter designed to execute the BB84 quantum key distribution protocol. Our transmitter prepares polarization states using a single commercial-off-the-shelf phase modulator. Our scheme does not require global biasing to compensate thermal and mechanical drifts, as both of the system's two time-demultiplexed polarization modes share a single optical path. Furthermore, the transmitter's optical path entails a double-pass through the phase modulation device for each polarization mode, allowing multiple phase rotations to be impinged on each light pulse. We present a proof-of-concept prototype of this transmitter topology and demonstrate a mean intrinsic quantum bit error rate below 0.2% over a 5 hour measurement.
ISSN:1094-4087
1094-4087
DOI:10.1364/OE.481797