An Optical Scheme for Quantum Multi-Service Network

TL;DR

This paper proposes a versatile optical scheme capable of implementing multiple quantum communication protocols such as QKD, QSDC, and QSS, with inherent security features and experimental validation over a 1 km fiber link.

Contribution

The authors introduce a unified optical setup for various quantum protocols, enhancing practicality and security in quantum communication networks.

Findings

The scheme supports QKD, QSDC, and QSS protocols.

It is resistant to single-photon detector blinding attacks.

Experimental demonstration confirms feasibility over 1 km fiber.

Abstract

Several quantum protocols for data security having been proposed and, in general, they have different optical implementations. However, for the implementation of quantum protocols in optical networks, it is highly advantageous if the same optical setup can be used for running different quantum communication protocols. In this direction, here we show an optical scheme that can be used for quantum key distribution (QKD), quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) and quantum secret sharing (QSS). Additionally, it is naturally resistant to the attack based on single-photon detector blinding. At last, we show a proof-of-principle experiment in 1 km optical fiber link that shows the feasibility of the proposed scheme.