Quantum Key Distribution with On‐Chip Dissipative Kerr Soliton

Abstract

Quantum key distribution (QKD) can distribute symmetric key bits between remote legitimate users with the guarantee of quantum mechanics principles. For practical applications, there is increasing attention to integrating the source, detectors, and modulators on a photonic chip. Here, the Kerr dissipative soliton is introduced in a microresonator as the light source for GHz QKD systems, and the proof‐of‐principle experiment demonstrates the parallel QKD can be achieved using coherent comb lines from the soliton. The performance of parallel QKD is also verified by using the off‐the‐shelf wavelength division modules and the on‐chip soliton source. Since the on‐chip soliton can provide hundreds of carriers covering the C and L bands, the results exhibit the feasibility to achieve ultra‐high rate secure key bits through massively parallel QKD, especially when incorporated with the thriving photonic integrated circuit technology.

Directly accessing octave-spanning dissipative Kerr soliton frequency combs in an AlN microresonator

“…The recent demonstration of dissipative Kerr solitons (DKSs) [6,7], with a double balance between Kerr nonlinearity and dispersion as well as loss and parametric gain in the optical resonator, has provided a route to a fully coherent microcomb with a smooth spectral envelope and broadened width due to soliton-induced Cherenkov radiation [8,9]. The soliton microcomb has ubiquitous commercial potential for applications in dual-comb spectroscopy [10], coherent communications [11], frequency synthesizer [12], long-distance measurements [13], and quantum key distribution [14].…”

Airborne quantum key distribution: a review [Invited]

“…Some groups have been devoted to developing handheld [105] and compact polarization analyzers for mobile free-space QKD. Fortunately, the implementation of QKD on photonic chips has developed rapidly in recent years [106,107] . Predictably, the chip-based QKD devices [108] will significantly facilitate the development of airborne quantum communications by taking advantage of their excellent scalability, high stability, and repeatability.…”

Advances in soliton microcomb generation

“…For example, a novel quantum key distribution system by demultiplexing the coherent microcomb lines was proposed very recently, showing the potential of the Gbps secret key rate. 139 Considering other progress made in this field by ultilizing microcombs, [140][141][142][143][144][145][146] it is reasonable to imagine that the microcavities can find more important applications worth extensively exploring in quantum optics.…”