Habif, J.
, Pearson, D.
, Hadfield, R.
, Schwall, R.
, Nam, S.
and Miller, A.
(2006),
Single Photon Detector Comparison in a Quantum Key Distribution Link Testbed, Applied Physics Letters, [online], https://doi.org/10.1117/12.685552
(Accessed October 7, 2025)
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Single Photon Detector Comparison in a Quantum Key Distribution Link Testbed
Published
Author(s)
Jonathan L. Habif, David S. Pearson, , , ,
Abstract
We provide a direct comparison between the InGaAs avalanche photodiode (APD) and the NbN superconducting single photon detector (SSPD) for applications in fiber-based quantum cryptography. The quantum efficiency and dark count rate were measured for each detector, and used to calculate the quantum bit error rate (QBER) for a QKD link. The results indicate that, despite low quantum efficiency, the speed of the SSPD makes it a superior detector for quantum information applications. Finally, we demonstrate successful key exchange in the BBN QKD link using an SSPD to receive key material.Citation
Applied Physics Letters
Pub Type
Journals
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Keywords
BB84, QKD, quantum communication, quantum key distribution, superconducting single photon detector
Citation
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Created October 24, 2006, Updated October 12, 2021