Long-term Performance Analysis of a Commercial QKD Device Under Real-world Deployment Conditions

TL;DR

This study evaluates the long-term performance and stability of a commercial QKD device deployed in Brazil, revealing its resilience and operational characteristics under real-world tropical conditions.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed long-term operational analysis of a commercial QKD system in tropical outdoor and indoor environments, highlighting practical deployment insights.

Findings

System maintained visibility above 97%

QBER remained below 1% on average

Demonstrated resilience under tropical ambient fluctuations

Abstract

Quantum key distribution (QKD) has reached a commercially viable stage, with several companies offering hardware systems designed for operational deployment. Evaluating the performance of commercial QKD devices under real-world deployment conditions is essential for users seeking to understand the practical limitations and operational reliability of these systems. In this paper, we present a long-term performance analysis of ID Quantique's Clavis XGR deployed within the Hermes Quantum Network, in Brazil. Our study provides a detailed characterization of key operational metrics, such as secret key rate, quantum bit error rate (QBER), visibility, and detection counts, mapping their behavior over extended periods of continuous operation. We analyze the system's stability across two distinct optical links: a 40.3 km indoor spooled fiber and a 3.5 km outdoor deployed underground fiber. Monitored under both unregulated tropical ambient fluctuations and actively controlled thermal stress, our results demonstrate excellent overall baseline resilience, with the system maintaining visibility above 97% and QBER below 1% on average. These findings provide practical insights into the expected behavior and thermal bottlenecks of commercial QKD systems in field deployments, particularly in tropical climates, helping to inform realistic expectations for operational quantum-safe infrastructures.