QKD network architectures
View Patent ↗There is herein disclosed a system for performing Quantum Key Distribution, the system including a transmitter adapted to transmit a plurality of optical pulses, a first receiver, a second receiver, an optical switch with an input which is in optical communication with the transmitter, the switch being switchable between a first switching position in which the input is optically connected to the first receiver, and a second switching position in which the input is optically connected to the second receiver, the system further including a guide for guiding a portion of the plurality of optical pulses to the first receiver via an optical path that bypasses the optical switch.
1. A system for performing Quantum Key Distribution, the system comprising:
a transmitter adapted to transmit a plurality of optical pulses that includes secret key information;
a first quantum receiver;
a second quantum receiver;
an optical switch having a first input in optical communication with the transmitter, the optical switch being switchable between a first switching position in which the first input is optically connected to the first quantum receiver without an intervening quantum receiver, and a second switching position in which the first input is optically connected to the second quantum receiver without an intervening quantum receiver; and
a guide for guiding a portion of the plurality of optical pulses to the first quantum receiver via an optical path that bypasses the optical switch,
wherein the optical communication from the transmitter is adapted to be a continuous photon stream to each the first quantum receiver and the second quantum receiver.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises one or more further quantum receivers.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the optical switch has one or more outputs each being optically connected to a corresponding one of the one or more further quantum receivers without an intervening quantum receiver.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a controller adapted to control the optical switch.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is adapted to control a switching position of the optical switch.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is adapted to send a control signal to the optical switch to control the switching position of the optical switch.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the guide comprises a first optical splitter.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein, in use, the first optical splitter receives the transmitted plurality of optical pulses through a second input and splits the plurality of optical pulses such that a portion of the plurality of optical pulses is guided onto a different path than a remainder of the plurality of optical pulses.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the portion of the plurality of optical pulses that are guided onto the different path constitutes less than 25% of the plurality of optical pulses.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the portion of the plurality of optical pulses that are guided onto the different path constitutes 10% of the plurality of optical pulses.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the guide guides one or more of the plurality of optical pulses to the second quantum receiver.
12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the guide comprises a second optical splitter having a third input which is optically connected to a first output of the first optical splitter.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein a first pulse stream output by the optical switch is combined with a second pulse stream output by the second optical splitter before arriving at a respective quantum receiver.
14. A method of performing Quantum Key Distribution between a transmitter and a first quantum receiver and a second quantum receiver, the method comprising:
transmitting, at the transmitter, a plurality of optical pulses that includes secret key information;
guiding the plurality of optical pulses to an input of an optical switch, the optical switch being switchable between a first switching position in which the input is optically connected to the first quantum receiver without an intervening quantum receiver, and a second switching position in which the input is optically connected to the second quantum receiver without an intervening quantum receiver; and
guiding a portion of the plurality of pulses from the transmitter to the first quantum receiver via an optical communication path that bypasses the optical switch,
wherein optical communication from the transmitter is adapted to be a continuous photon stream to each the first quantum receiver and the second quantum receiver.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein guiding the portion of the plurality of pulses from the transmitter to the first quantum receiver via an optical communication path that bypasses the optical switch comprises splitting the plurality of optical pulses.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first pulse stream output by the optical switch is combined with the second pulse stream output by a pulse stream combiner.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the pulse stream combiner is distinct from the first quantum receiver and the second quantum receiver.