QKD protected fiber-based infrastructure for time dissemination

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a method combining Quantum Key Distribution and White Rabbit technology to securely synchronize distant clocks over fiber-optic infrastructure, enhancing security and traceability of time dissemination.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach integrating QKD with existing time dissemination techniques for secure, high-precision clock synchronization.

Findings

Secure time sharing with QKD and White Rabbit achieved

Time stability is maintained with high traceability

Encryption prevents third-party access to synchronization info

Abstract

In this study, we demonstrate the possibility to protect, with Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), a critical infrastructure as the fiber-based one used for time and frequency (TF) dissemination service. The proposed technique allows to disseminate secure and precise TF signals between two fiber-opticconnected locations, on a critical infrastructure, using both QKD and White Rabbit technique. This secure exchange allows the secret sharing of time information between two parties for the synchronization of distant clocks with the highest stability and traceable to the Italian time scale. When encrypted, time signals would reveal to a third party no useful information about the synchronization status, providing a time stability two orders of magnitude worsened.