Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides a secure method to exchange encrypted information between two parties in a quantum communication infrastructure (QCI). The primary challenge in deploying a QCI is the cost of using optical fibers and trusted repeater nodes (TRNs). Practical systems combine quantum and classical channels on the same fiber to reduce the cost […]
In this article, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel synchronization method for quantum key distribution (QKD) systems. The method consists of maximizing the visibility of frequency-domain interference of optical sidebands about an optical carrier at the receiver node. The sidebands are generated by phase modulation of the optical carrier by an radio-frequency (RF) signal […]
Microwave quantum information networks require reliable transmission of single-photon propagating modes over lossy channels. In this article, we propose a microwave noiseless linear amplifier (NLA) suitable to circumvent the losses incurred by a flying photon undergoing an amplitude damping channel (ADC). The proposed model is constructed by engineering a simple 1-D four-node cluster state. Contrary […]
Existing classical optical network infrastructure cannot be immediately used for quantum network applications due to photon loss. The first step toward enabling quantum networks is the integration of quantum repeaters into optical networks. However, the expenses and intrinsic noise inherent in quantum hardware underscore the need for an efficient deployment strategy that optimizes the placement […]
Detectors capable of resolving the number of photons are essential in many applications, ranging from classic photonics to quantum optics and quantum communication. In particular, photon-number-resolving detectors based on arrays of superconducting nanostrips can offer a high detection efficiency, a low dark count rate, and a recovery time of a few nanoseconds. In this work, […]
The reliable provision of entangled qubits is an essential precondition in a variety of schemes for distributed quantum computing. This is challenged by multiple nuisances, such as errors during the transmission over quantum links, but also due to degradation of the entanglement over time due to decoherence. The latter can be seen as a constraint […]
This article explores the performance of quantum communication systems in the presence of noise and focuses on finding the optimal encoding for maximizing the classical communication rate, approaching the classical capacity in some scenarios. Instead of theoretically bounding the ultimate capacity of the channel, we adopt a signal processing perspective to estimate the achievable performance […]
We consider the problem of multipath entanglement distribution to a pair of nodes in a quantum network consisting of devices with nondeterministic entanglement swapping capabilities. Multipath entanglement distribution enables a network to establish end-to-end entangled links across any number of available paths with preestablished link-level entanglement. Probabilistic entanglement swapping, on the other hand, limits the […]
Information reconciliation (IR) is a key step in quantum key distribution (QKD). In recent years, blind reconciliation based on low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes has replaced Cascade as a standard de facto since it guarantees efficient IR without a priori quantum bit error rate estimation and with limited interactivity between the parties, which is essential in […]
Quantum protocols commonly require a certain number of quantum resource states to be available simultaneously. An important class of examples is quantum network protocols that require a certain number of entangled pairs. Here, we consider a setting in which a process generates a quantum resource state with some probability p in each time step and […]