1310-nm Quantum Key Distribution System With Up-Conversion Pump Wavelength at 1550 nm

Published

May 30, 2007

Author(s)

Hai Xu, Alan Mink, Barry J. Hershman, Xiao Tang

Abstract

We show that the performance of a 1310-nm quantum key distribution (QKD) system with an up-conversion detector pumped at 1550 nm is comparable with or better than that of current 1550-nm QKD systems with 1310-nm pump detectors. The nonlinearly induced dark counts are reduced when the wavelength of the pump light is longer than that of the quantum signal. We developed a 1550-nm pump up-conversion detector for a 1310-nm QKD system. We experimentally studied the polarization sensitivity, pump signal format, and various influences on the dark count rate. Using this detector in a proof-of-principle experiment, we achieved a secure key rate of 500 kbit/s at 10 km and 9.1 kbit/s at 50 km in a 625-Mbit/s, B92, polarization-coding QKD system with mean photon number of 0.1, and we expect that the system performance could be improved further if one applies more advanced protocols, higher data rates, and a better periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) module.

Citation

Optics Express

Volume

15

Issue

12

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

fiber optics communications, optical communications, photon counting, quantum cryptography, quantum detectors

Citation

Xu, H. , Mink, A. , Hershman, B. and Tang, X. (2007), 1310-nm Quantum Key Distribution System With Up-Conversion Pump Wavelength at 1550 nm, Optics Express, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=51108 (Accessed October 9, 2025)