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Field test of continuous-variable quantum key distribution with a true local oscillator

by Brian P Williams, Bing Qi, Muneer Alshowkan, Philip G Evans, Nicholas A Peters
Publication Type
Journal
Journal Name
Physical Review Applied
Publication Date
Volume
21
Issue
1

A continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV QKD) using a true local (located at the receiver) oscillator (LO) has been proposed to remove any possibility of side-channel attacks associated with transmission of the LO as well as reduce the cross-pulse contamination. Here we report an implementation of true LO-CV QKD using “off-the-shelf” components and conduct QKD experiments using the fiber optical network at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A phase reference and quantum signal are time multiplexed and then wavelength division multiplexed with the classical communications that “coexist” with each other on a single optical network fiber. This is the first demonstration of CV QKD with a receiver-based true LO over a deployed fiber network, a crucial step for its application in real-world situations.