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Composable free-space continuous-variable quantum key distribution using discrete modulation

delete2026-06-12
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OA
AI
K
Kevin Jaksch *
T
Thomas Dirmeier
Y
Yannick Weiser
S
Stefan Richter
Ö
Ömer Bayraktar
B
Bastian Hacker
C
Conrad Rößler
I
Imran Khan
S
Stefan Petscharnig
T
Thomas Alexander Grafenauer
M
Michael Hentschel
B
Bernhard Ömer
C
Christoph Pacher
F
Florian Kanitschar
T
Twesh Upadhyaya
J
Jie Lin
N
Norbert Lütkenhaus
G
Gerd Leuchs
C
Christoph Marquardt *
DOI:10.1126/sciadv.adv1440delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Continuous-variable (CV) quantum key distribution (QKD) allows for quantum secure communication with the benefit of being close to classical coherent communication. In recent years, CV QKD protocols using a discrete number of displaced coherent states have been studied intensively as the modulation can be directly implemented with real devices with finite resolution. Until now, experiments only calculated key rates in the asymptotic regime. Here, we present a CV QKD system using discrete modulation that is especially designed for atmospheric channels. We use polarization encoding to exploit the nonbirefringent nature of the turbulent atmosphere. This allows to expand CV QKD networks beyond the existing fiber backbone. In a laboratory demonstration with a static 3-decibel loss channel, we implemented a recently developed security proof allowing to calculate composable finite-size key rates against independently and identically distributed collective attacks. We applied the full QKD protocol including a quantum random number generator, error correction, and privacy amplification to extract secret keys.

Journal

Science Advances cover
Science Advances
IF:
12.5
Papers:
2.1W
Citations:
18.1W

Organization

M
max planck institute for the science of light
Scholars:
42
Papers: 11
Citations: 0
A
AIT Austrian Institute of Technology
Scholars:
126
Papers: 54
Citations: 0
U
university of waterloo
Scholars:
2.6K
Papers: 1.4K
Citations: 1
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Cited Papers

Cited Papers

Security of discrete-modulated continuous-variable quantum key distribution
err2024-07-18
err0
errOAAI
errStefan Bäuml; Carlos Pascual-García; Victoria Wright; Omar Fawzi; Antonio Acín
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Polarization squeezing and continuous-variable polarization entanglement
err2002-04-17
err0
errOAAI
errNatalia Korolkova; Gerd Leuchs; Rodney Loudon; Timothy C. Ralph; Christine Silberhorn
errShare
errSave
errShare
errSave
Long-Distance Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution over 202.81 km of Fiber
err2020-06-30
err0
errOAAI
errYichen Zhang; Ziyang Chen; Stefano Pirandola; Xiangyu Wang; Chao Zhou; Binjie Chu; Yijia Zhao; Bingjie Xu; Song Yu; Hong Guo
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A generator for unique quantum random numbers based on vacuum states
err2010-08-29
err323
PREAI
errGabriel, Christian; Wittmann, Christoffer; Sych, Denis; Dong, Ruifang; Mauerer, Wolfgang; Andersen, Ulrik L.; Marquardt, Christoph; Leuchs, Gerd
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Shaped Constellation Continuous Variable Quantum Key Distribution: Concepts, Methods and Experimental Validation
err2024-08-01
err8
errOAAI
errRoumestan, Francois; Ghazisaeidi, Amirhossein; Renaudier, Jeremie; Trigo Vidarte, Luis; Leverrier, Anthony; Diamanti, Eleni; Grangier, Philippe
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errShare
errSave
Free-space continuous-variable quantum key distribution under high background noise
err2025-03-27
err0
errOAAI
errZheng, Xue-Tao; Zhang, Qi-Fa; Ling, Jie; Guo, Guang-Can; Han, Zheng-Fu
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