Coexistence of Continuous Variable Quantum Key Distribution and 7 $\times$ 12.5 Gbit/s Classical Channels

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the successful coexistence of continuous variable quantum key distribution with high-speed classical channels over the same optical fiber, achieving continuous key generation in real-world conditions.

Contribution

It presents experimental validation of CV-QKD coexisting with 7 classical channels at 12.5 Gbit/s over the C-band, with sustained secret key rates.

Findings

Secret key rates between 20 to 50 kbit/s achieved

Continuous operation over 24 hours demonstrated

Coexistence with classical channels is feasible in practical settings

Abstract

We study coexistence of CV-QKD and 7 classical 12.5 Gbit/s on-off keying channels in WDM transmission over the C-band. We demonstrate key generation with a distilled secret key rate between 20 to 50 kbit/s in experiments running continuously over 24 hours.