Compact Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution System Employing Monolithically Integrated Silicon Photonic Transceiver
This work addresses the need for scalable and practical quantum key distribution systems for secure communications, representing an incremental advance through integration.
The researchers tackled the challenge of implementing practical continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) by developing a compact system using a monolithic silicon photonic transceiver, achieving a secret key rate of 1.9 Mbit/s over 25 km of standard single-mode fibre.
We demonstrate the first CV-QKD system featuring a custom-designed monolithic silicon photonic dual-polarisation transceiver. Leveraging PS-64-QAM, we achieved 1.9 Mbit/s secret key rate across 25 km of standard single-mode fibre, highlighting the potential of electronic-photonic integration for practical QKD.