Field Test of Twin-Field Quantum Key Distribution through Sending-or-Not-Sending over 428 km

TL;DR

This paper reports a successful field test of twin-field quantum key distribution over 428 km of deployed fiber, demonstrating practical feasibility and surpassing previous distance records for fiber-based QKD systems.

Contribution

First field demonstration of TF-QKD over 428 km of deployed fiber, showing its practicality for real-world intercity quantum communication.

Findings

Achieved a secure key rate exceeding the repeater-less QKD limit.

Established a new distance record for fiber-based TF-QKD.

Demonstrated system stability and feasibility in real-world conditions.

Abstract

Quantum key distribution endows people with information-theoretical security in communications. Twin-field quantum key distribution (TF-QKD) has attracted considerable attention because of its outstanding key rates over long distances. Recently, several demonstrations of TF-QKD have been realized. Nevertheless, those experiments are implemented in the laboratory, remaining a critical question about whether the TF-QKD is feasible in real-world circumstances. Here, by adopting the sending-or-not-sending twin-field QKD (SNS-TF-QKD) with the method of actively odd parity pairing (AOPP), we demonstrate a field-test QKD over 428~km deployed commercial fiber and two users are physically separated by about 300~km in a straight line. To this end, we explicitly measure the relevant properties of the deployed fiber and develop a carefully designed system with high stability. The secure key rate we achieved breaks the absolute key rate limit of repeater-less QKD. The result provides a new distance record for the field test of both TF-QKD and all types of fiber-based QKD systems. Our work bridges the gap of QKD between laboratory demonstrations and practical applications, and paves the way for intercity QKD network with high-speed and measurement-device-independent security.