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Demonstration of a Polarization encoding Quantum Key Distribution System

Mantey , S. T. ; Ramos, M. F. ; Silva, N. A. ; Pinto, A. N. ; Muga, N. J.

Demonstration of a Polarization encoding Quantum Key Distribution System, Proc SBRC Workshop de Comunicação e Computação Quântica WQuantum, Fortaleza, Brazil, Vol. , pp. - , May, 2022.

Digital Object Identifier: https://doi.org/10.5753/wquantum.2022.223562

 

Abstract
In this work, a fully functional polarization-encoding quantum key distribution system (QKD) is demonstrated. At the transmitter side, the polari-zation states are prepared using an algorithm to determine the voltages to be applied on the electronic polarization controller (EPC), to generate up to four polarization states. At the receiver, a second EPC is used to perform the basis alignment. The symbol synchronization is achieved using a reference optical signal that is wavelength division multiplexed with the quantum signal which carries the polarization-encoded qubit. Frame synchronization is achieved at a protocol level. The presented QKD system works at a repetition rate of 500 Hz, with an average quantum bit error rate of 1.35%.