Security analysis of satellite-to-ground reference-frame-independent quantum key distribution with beam wandering

The reference-frame-independent(RFI)quantum key distribution(QKD)is suitable for satellite-based links by removing the active alignment on the reference frames.However,how the beam wandering influences the performance of RFI-QKD remains a pending issue in satellite-to-ground links.In this paper,based on the mathematical model for characterizing beam wandering,we present the security analysis for satellite-to-ground RFI-QKD and analytically derive formulas for calculating the secret key rate with beam wandering.Our simulation results show that the performance of RFI-QKD is better than the Bennett–Brassard 1984(BB84)QKD with beam wandering in asymptotic case.Furthermore,the degree of influences of beam wandering is specifically presented for satellite-to-ground RFI-QKD when statistical fluctuations are taken into account.Our work can provide theoretical support for the realization of RFI-QKD using satellite-to-ground links and have implications for the construction of large-scale satellite-based quantum networks.

Fast implementation of length-adaptive privacy amplification in quantum key distribution

Post-processing is indispensable in quantum key distribution （QKD）, which is aimed at sharing secret keys between two distant parties. It mainly consists of key reconciliation and privacy amplification, which is used for sharing the same keys and for distilling unconditional secret keys. In this paper, we focus on speeding up the privacy amplification process by choosing a simple multiplicative universal class of hash functions. By constructing an optimal multiplication algorithm based on four basic multiplication algorithms, we give a fast software implementation of length-adaptive privacy amplification. ＂Length-adaptive＂ indicates that the implementation of privacy amplification automatically adapts to different lengths of input blocks. When the lengths of the input blocks are 1 Mbit and 10 Mbit, the speed of privacy amplification can be as fast as 14.86 Mbps and 10.88 Mbps, respectively. Thus, it is practical for GHz or even higher repetition frequency QKD systems.

Reference-frame-independent quantum key distribution with two-way classical communication

The data post-processing scheme based on two-way classical communication(TWCC)can improve the tolerable bit error rate and extend the maximal transmission distance when used in a quantum key distribution(QKD)system.In this study,we apply the TWCC method to improve the performance of reference-frame-independent quantum key distribution(RFI-QKD),and analyze the influence of the TWCC method on the performance of decoy-state RFI-QKD in both asymptotic and non-asymptotic cases.Our numerical simulation results show that the TWCC method is able to extend the maximal transmission distance from 175 km to 198 km and improve the tolerable bit error rate from 10.48%to 16.75%.At the same time,the performance of RFI-QKD in terms of the secret key rate and maximum transmission distance are still greatly improved when statistical fluctuations are considered.We conclude that RFI-QKD with the TWCC method is of practical interest.

Coupling and characterization of a Si/SiGe triple quantum dot array with a microwave resonator

Scaling up spin qubits in silicon-based quantum dots is one of the pivotal challenges in achieving large-scale semiconductor quantum computation.To satisfy the connectivity requirements and reduce the lithographic complexity,utilizing the qubit array structure and the circuit quantum electrodynamics(cQED)architecture together is expected to be a feasible scaling scheme.A triple-quantum dot(TQD)coupled with a superconducting resonator is regarded as a basic cell to demonstrate this extension scheme.In this article,we investigate a system consisting of a silicon TQD and a high-impedance TiN coplanar waveguide(CPW)resonator.The TQD can couple to the resonator via the right double-quantum dot(RDQD),which reaches the strong coupling regime with a charge–photon coupling strength of g0/(2p)=175 MHz.Moreover,we illustrate the high tunability of the TQD through the characterization of stability diagrams,quadruple points(QPs),and the quantum cellular automata(QCA)process.Our results contribute to fostering the exploration of silicon-based qubit integration.

Correction of microwave pulse reflection by digital filters in superconducting quantum circuits

Reducing the control error is vital for high-fidelity digital and analog quantum operations.In superconducting circuits,one disagreeable error arises from the reflection of microwave signals due to impedance mismatch in the control chain.Here,we demonstrate a reflection cancelation method when considering that there are two reflection nodes on the control line.We propose to generate the pre-distortion pulse by passing the envelopes of the microwave signal through digital filters,which enables real-time reflection correction when integrated into the field-programmable gate array(FPGA).We achieve a reduction of single-qubit gate infidelity from 0.67%to 0.11%after eliminating microwave reflection.Real-time correction of microwave reflection paves the way for precise control and manipulation of the qubit state and would ultimately enhance the performance of algorithms and simulations executed on quantum processors.

Threshold-independent method for single-shot readout of spin qubits in semiconductor quantum dots

The single-shot readout data process is essential for the realization of high-fidelity qubits and fault-tolerant quantum algorithms in semiconductor quantum dots. However, the fidelity and visibility of the readout process are sensitive to the choice of the thresholds and limited by the experimental hardware. By demonstrating the linear dependence between the measured spin state probabilities and readout visibilities along with dark counts, we describe an alternative threshold-independent method for the single-shot readout of spin qubits in semiconductor quantum dots. We can obtain the extrapolated spin state probabilities of the prepared probabilities of the excited spin state through the threshold-independent method. We then analyze the corresponding errors of the method, finding that errors of the extrapolated probabilities cannot be neglected with no constraints on the readout time and threshold voltage. Therefore, by limiting the readout time and threshold voltage, we ensure the accuracy of the extrapolated probability. We then prove that the efficiency and robustness of this method are 60 times larger than those of the most commonly used method. Moreover, we discuss the influence of the electron temperature on the effective area with a fixed external magnetic field and provide a preliminary demonstration for a single-shot readout of up to 0.7K/1.5T in the future.

Electric field dependence of spin qubit in a Si-MOS quantum dot

Valley, the intrinsic feature of silicon, is an inescapable subject in silicon-based quantum computing. At the spin–valley hotspot, both Rabi frequency and state relaxation rate are significantly enhanced. With protection against charge noise, the valley degree of freedom is also conceived to encode a qubit to realize noise-resistant quantum computing.Here, based on the spin qubit composed of one or three electrons, we characterize the intrinsic properties of valley in an isotopically enriched silicon quantum dot(QD) device. For one-electron qubit, we measure two electric-dipole spin resonance(EDSR) signals which are attributed to partial occupation of two valley states. The resonance frequencies of two EDSR signals have opposite electric field dependences. Moreover, we characterize the electric field dependence of the upper valley state based on three-electron qubit experiments. The difference of electric field dependences of the two valleys is 52.02 MHz/V, which is beneficial for tuning qubit frequency to meet different experimental requirements. As an extension of electrical control spin qubits, the opposite electric field dependence is crucial for qubit addressability,individual single-qubit control and two-qubit gate approaches in scalable quantum computing.

Finite-key analysis of practical time-bin high-dimensional quantum key distribution with afterpulse effect

High-dimensional quantum resources provide the ability to encode several bits of information on a single photon,which can particularly increase the secret key rate rate of quantum key distribution(QKD) systems. Recently, a practical four-dimensional QKD scheme based on time-bin quantum photonic state, only with two single-photon avalanche detectors as measurement setup, has been proven to have a superior performance than the qubit-based one. In this paper, we extend the results to our proposed eight-dimensional scheme. Then, we consider two main practical factors to improve its secret key bound. Concretely, we take the afterpulse effect into account and apply a finite-key analysis with the intensity fluctuations.Our secret bounds give consideration to both the intensity fluctuations and the afterpulse effect for the high-dimensional QKD systems. Numerical simulations show the bound of eight-dimensional QKD scheme is more robust to the intensity fluctuations but more sensitive to the afterpulse effect than the four-dimensional one.

Performance analysis of continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution under diverse weather conditions

The effects of weather conditions are ubiquitous in practical wireless quantum communication links.Here in this work,the performances of atmospheric continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution(CV-MDI-QKD)under diverse weather conditions are analyzed quantitatively.According to the Mie scattering theory and atmospheric CV-MDI-QKD model,we numerically simulate the relationship between performance of CV-MDI-QKD and the rainy and foggy conditions,aiming to get close to the actual combat environment in the future.The results show that both rain and fog will degrade the performance of the CV-MDI-QKD protocol.Under the rainy condition,the larger the raindrop diameter,the more obvious the extinction effect is and the lower the secret key rate accordingly.In addition,we find that the secret key rate decreases with the increase of spot deflection distance and the fluctuation of deflection.Under the foggy condition,the results illustrate that the transmittance decreases with the increase of droplet radius or deflection distance,which eventually yields the decrease in the secret key rate.Besides,in both weather conditions,the increase of transmission distance also leads the secret key rate to deteriorate.Our work can provide a foundation for evaluating the performance evaluation and successfully implementing the atmospheric CV-MDI-QKD in the future field operation environment under different weather conditions.

Lower bound for the security of differential phase shift quantum key distribution against a one-pulse-attack

Quantum key distribution is the art of sharing secret keys between two distant parties, and has attracted a lot of attention due to its unconditional security. Compared with other quantum key distribution protocols, the differential phase shift quantum key distribution protocol has higher efficiency and simpler apparatus. Unfortunately, the uncondi- tional security of differential phase shift quantum key distribution has not been proved. Utilizing the sharp continuity of the von Neuman entropy and some basic inequalities, we estimate the upper bound for the eavesdropper Eve＇s infor- mation. We then prove the lower bound for the security of the differential phase shift quantum key distribution protocol against a one-pulse attack with Devatak-Winter＇s secret key rate formula.

Security of biased BB84 quantum key distribution with finite resource

In the original BB84 quantum key distribution protocol, the states are prepared and measured randomly, which lose the unmatched detection results. To improve the sifting efficiency, biased bases selection BB84 protocol is proposed. Meanwhile, a practical quantum key distribution protocol can only transmit a finite number of signals, resulting in keys of finite length. The previous techniques for finite-key analysis focus mainly on the statistical fluctuations of the error rates and yields of the qubits. However, the prior choice probabilities of the two bases also have fluctuations by taking into account the finite-size effect. In this paper, we discuss the security of biased decoy state BB84 protocol with finite resources by considering all of the statistical fluctuations. The results can be directly used in the experimental realizations.

Effect of weak randomness flaws on security evaluation of practical quantum key distribution with distinguishable decoy states

Quantum key distribution provides an unconditional secure key sharing method in theory,but the imperfect factors of practical devices will bring security vulnerabilities.In this paper,we characterize the imperfections of the sender and analyze the possible attack strategies of Eve.Firstly,we present a quantized model for distinguishability of decoy states caused by intensity modulation.Besides,considering that Eve may control the preparation of states through hidden variables,we evaluate the security of preparation in practical quantum key distribution(QKD)scheme based on the weak-randomness model.Finally,we analyze the influence of the distinguishability of decoy state to secure key rate,for Eve may conduct the beam splitting attack and control the channel attenuation of different parts.Through the simulation,it can be seen that the secure key rate is sensitive to the distinguishability of decoy state and weak randomness,especially when Eve can control the channel attenuation.

Experimental demonstration of passive decoy state quantum key distribution

Passive decoy state quantum key distribution（PDS-QKD） has advantages in high-speed scenarios.We propose a modified model to simulate the PDS-QKD with a weak coherent light source based on Curty＇s theory [Opt.Lett.34 3238（2009）].The modified model can provide better performance in a practical PDS-QKD system.Moreover,we report an experimental demonstration of the PDS-QKD of over 22.0-dB channel loss.

Quantum key distribution transmitter chip based on hybrid-integration of silica and lithium niobates

A quantum key distribution transmitter chip based on hybrid-integration of silica planar light-wave circuit(PLC)and lithium niobates(LN)modulator PLC is presented.The silica part consists of a tunable directional coupler and 400-ps delay line,and the LN part is made up of a Y-branch,with electro-optic modulators on both arms.The two parts are facet-coupled to form an asymmetric Mach-Zehnder interferometer.We successfully encode and decode four BB84 states at 156.25-MHz repetition rate.Fast phase-encoding of 0 orπis achieved,with interference fringe visibilities 78.53%and 82.68%for states|+〉and|-〉,respectively.With the aid of an extra off-chip LN intensity modulator,two time-bin states are prepared and the extinction ratios are 18.65 dB and 15.46 dB for states|0〉and|1〉,respectively.

Application of a Discrete Phase-Randomized Coherent State Source in Round-Robin Differential Phase-Shift Quantum Key Distribution

Recently, a novel kind of quantum key distribution called the round-robin differential phase-shift （RRDPS） protocol was proposed, which bounds the amount of leakage without monitoring signal disturbance. The protocol can be implemented by a weak coherent source. The security of this protocol with a simply characterized source has been proved. The application of a common phase shift can improve the secret key rate of the protocol. In practice, the randomized phase is discrete and the secret key rate is deviated from the continuous case. In this study, we analyze security of the RRDPS protocol with discrete-phase-randomized coherent state source and bound the secret key rate. We fix the length of each packet at 32 and 64, then simulate the secret key rates of the RRDPS protocol with discrete-phase randomization and continuous-phase randomization. Our simulation results show that the performance of the discrete-phase randomization case is close to the continuous counterpart with only a small number of discrete phases. The research is practically valuable for experimental implementation.

Correcting on-chip distortion of control pulses with silicon spin qubits

In semiconductor quantum dot systems,pulse distortion is a significant source of coherent errors,which impedes qubit characterization and control.Here,we demonstrate two calibration methods using a two-qubit system as the detector to correct distortion and calibrate the transfer function of the control line.Both methods are straightforward to implement,robust against noise,and applicable to a wide range of qubit types.The two methods differ in correction accuracy and complexity.The first,coarse predistortion(CPD)method,partially mitigates distortion.The second,all predistortion(APD)method,measures the transfer function and significantly enhances exchange oscillation uniformity.Both methods use exchange oscillation homogeneity as the metric and are suitable for any qubit driven by a diabatic pulse.We believe these methods will enhance qubit characterization accuracy and operation quality in future applications.

Experimental demonstration of passive decoy state quantum key distribution

Passive decoy state quantum key distribution(PDS-QKD) has advantages in high-speed scenarios.We propose a modified model to simulate the PDS-QKD with a weak coherent light source based on Curty’s theory [Opt.Lett.34 3238(2009)].The modified model can provide better performance in a practical PDS-QKD system.Moreover,we report an experimental demonstration of the PDS-QKD of over 22.0-dB channel loss.

Experimental Decoy State Quantum Key Distribution Over 120 km Fibre

Decoy state quantum key distribution （QKD）, being capable of beating PNS attack and being unconditionally secure has become attractive recently. However, in many QKD systems, disturbances of transmission channel make the quantum bit error rate （QBER） increase, which limits both security distance and key bit rate of real-world decoy state QKD systems. We demonstrate the two-intensity decoy QKD with a one-way Faraday- Michelson phase modulation system, which is free of channel disturbance and keeps an interference fringe visibility （99%） long period, over a 120 km single mode optical fibre in telecom （1550nm） wavelength. This is the longest distance fibre decoy state QKD system based on the two-intensity protocol.

A hybrid quantum encoding algorithm of vector quantization for image compression

Many classical encoding algorithms of vector quantization （VQ） of image compression that can obtain global optimal solution have computational complexity O（N）. A pure quantum VQ encoding algorithm with probability of success near 100% has been proposed, that performs operations 45√N times approximately. In this paper, a hybrid quantum VQ encoding algorithm between the classical method and the quantum algorithm is presented. The number of its operations is less than √N for most images, and it is more efficient than the pure quantum algorithm.

Dynamic quantum secret sharing protocol based on two-particle transform of Bell states

To solve the problems of updating sub-secrets or secrets as well as adding or deleting agents in the quantum secret sharing protocol, we propose a two-particle transform of Bell states, and consequently present a novel dynamic quantum secret sharing protocol. The new protocol can not only resist some typical attacks, but also be more efficient than the existing protocols. Furthermore, we take advantage of the protocol to establish the dynamic secret sharing of a quantum state protocol for two-particle maximum entangled states.