CONTINUOUS-VARIABLE QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION (CV-QKD) METHOD AND SYSTEM

Abstract

A continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) method and system is provided. The CV-QKD method includes: step 1: transmitting a quantum signal and a local oscillation signal synchronously based on time and polarization multiplexing, and performing detection to obtain detection data; and step 2: compensating for the detection data based on a phase compensation algorithm and public data. In this way, a phase can be compensated accurately in channel fading, so as to improve performance of the CV-QKD system.

Claims

1. A continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) method, comprising: step 1: transmitting a quantum signal and a local oscillation signal synchronously based on time and polarization multiplexing, and performing detection to obtain detection data; and step 2: compensating for the detection data based on a phase compensation algorithm and public data.

2. The CV-QKD method according to claim 1, wherein step 1 comprises: step 1.1: chopping, by an intensity modulator, continuous laser light emitted by a laser, and converting the continuous laser light into a light pulse sequence; step 1.2: modulating a part of the light pulse sequence, loading to-be-transmitted information to the quantum signal, and performing delay; step 1.3: combining a light pulse sequence of the quantum signal loaded with the to-be-transmitted information and a light pulse sequence of the local oscillation signal through polarization multiplexing to obtain a combined light pulse sequence, and transmitting-a the combined light pulse sequence to a receiving end through a free-space channel; step 1.4: performing, by a polarization beam splitter, beam splitting at the receiving end, aligning the light pulse sequence of the quantum signal loaded with the to-be-transmitted information and the light pulse sequence of the local oscillation signal in time domain through delay, and performing homodyne detection; and step 1.5: collecting, by a data collection device, an electrical signal output by a detector, and performing digital signal processing to obtain the detection data.

3. The CV-QKD method according to claim 1, wherein step 2 comprises: step 2.1: publishing the public data by two communication parties, and performing, by a transmitting end, phase shifting on the public data to generate contrasted data; step 2.2: calculating a cross-correlation between the contrasted data and the detection data, and finding a maximum value, wherein a phase shifting angle of the maximum value is a phase drift estimating value; step 2.3: performing data compensation on the detection data based on the phase drift estimating value to obtain compensated detection data; and step 2.4: performing negotiated decoding on the compensated detection data, and performing privacy amplification to obtain a final key.

4. The CV-QKD method according to claim 3, wherein a length of the public data affects compensation accuracy.

5. The CV-QKD method according to claim 3, wherein a range of the phase shifting is 0 to 360 degrees; and an interval between a plurality of phase shifting is set as needed, and affects compensation accuracy.

6. A continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) system, comprising: a module M1, configured to: transmit a quantum signal and a local oscillation signal synchronously based on time and polarization multiplexing, and perform detection to obtain detection data; and a module M2, configured to: compensate for the detection data based on a phase compensation algorithm and public data.

7. The CV-QKD system according to claim 6, wherein the module M1 comprises: a module M1.1, configured to: chop, by an intensity modulator, continuous laser light emitted by a laser, and convert the continuous laser light into a light pulse sequence; a module M1.2, configured to: modulate a part of the light pulse sequence, load to-be-transmitted information to the quantum signal, and perform delay; a module M1.3, configured to: combine a light pulse sequence of the quantum signal loaded with the to-be-transmitted information and a light pulse sequence of the local oscillation signal through polarization multiplexing to obtain a combined light pulse sequence, and transmit the combined light pulse sequence to a receiving end through a free-space channel; a module M1.4, configured to: perform, by a polarization beam splitter, beam splitting at the receiving end, align the light pulse sequence of the quantum signal loaded with the to-be-transmitted information and the light pulse sequence of the local oscillation signal in time domain through delay, and perform homodyne detection; and a module M1.5, configured to: collect, by a data collection device, an electrical signal output by a detector, and perform digital signal processing to obtain the detection data.

8. The CV-QKD system according to claim 6, wherein the module M2 comprises: a module M2.1, configured to: publish the public data by two communication parties, and perform, by a transmitting end, phase shifting on the public data to generate contrasted data; a module M2.2, configured to: calculate a cross-correlation between the contrasted data and the detection data, and find a maximum value, wherein a phase shifting angle of the maximum value is a phase drift estimating value; a module M2.3, configured to: perform data compensation on the detection data based on the phase drift estimating value to obtain compensated detection data; and a module M2.4, configured to: perform negotiated decoding on the compensated detection data, and perform privacy amplification to obtain a final key.

9. The CV-QKD system according to claim 8, wherein a length of the public data affects compensation accuracy.

10. The CV-QKD system according to claim 8, wherein a range of the phase shifting is 0 to 360 degrees; and an interval between a plurality of phase shifting is set as needed, and affects compensation accuracy.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Other features, objectives, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from a reading of the detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the following accompanying drawings.

[0045] FIG. 1 is a structural diagram of signal transmission; and

[0046] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a phase compensation solution.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0047] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. The following embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the present invention in any way. It should be noted that several variations and improvements can also be made by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the conception of the present invention. These are all within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0048] According to a phase compensation solution for free-space transmission in a CV-QKD system provided in the present invention, the continuous development of communication technologies in the information age provides a fast channel for information transmission, and more and more attention is paid to security of information in a transmission process. As a kind of quantum key distribution solution, CV-QKD distributes key information by encoding the key information on a regular light field component, and provides security assurance based on the uncertainty principle of coherent-state orthogonal components. With coherent detection, CV-QKD is well compatible with existing optical fiber communications systems, and has a function of protecting against internal background noise in free-space transmission, thereby becoming a very competitive commercial key distribution implementation solution. However, in a transmission process on a free-space channel, due to impact of channel fading, it is difficult to perform phase compensation on a transmitted signal. To resolve this problem, some data is published in a free-space CV-QKD system to calculate a cross-correlation and find a maximum value, to estimate a phase drift. Phase compensation is performed at a transmitting end for the estimated phase drift to allow subsequent processing and distribute a quantum key.

[0049] To achieve the above objective, the technical solution adopted in the present invention is as follows:

[0050] At first, a quantum signal and a local oscillation pulse sequence are transmitted.

[0051] A transmission structure of the quantum signal is shown in FIG. 1. At a transmitting end, laser light emitted by continuous lasers is first input into an intensity modulator for chopping, to generate a light pulse sequence. Then, the pulse sequence is split into beams, and one of the beams is modulated and delayed to generate the quantum signal. A local oscillation signal and the quantum signal are transmitted simultaneously through polarization multiplexing, and sent to a receiving end through a free-space channel.

[0052] After being received at the receiving end, the local oscillation signal and the quantum signal are separated by a polarization beam splitter and are delayed, and a local oscillation signal pulse and a quantum signal pulse are aligned. Then, homodyne detection is performed for signal detection, and a high-speed collection device is used to collect an electrical signal for subsequent data processing.

[0053] A phase compensation solution is shown in FIG. 2. After the quantum signal is detected, two communication parties publish some data for phase compensation. Phase shifting is performed on data of the transmitting end for a plurality of times within 0 to 360 degrees to generate new data. A cross-correlation operation is performed on the new data and data of the receiving end, and a maximum cross-correlation value is found. A phase shifting angle corresponding to the maximum cross-correlation value is a phase drift estimating value. Phase shifting is performed on the data of the transmitting data based on the estimate to compensate for a phase drift.

[0054] Negotiated data decoding and privacy amplification are performed on a compensated quantum signal to generate a final key. The key can be configured for data encryption to guarantee security of information transmission.

[0055] Those skilled in the art are aware that in addition to being realized by pure computer-readable program code, the system, the apparatus, and each module thereof provided in the present invention can realize a same program in a form of a logic gate, a switch, an application-specific integrated circuit, a programmable logic controller, or an embedded microcontroller by performing logic programming on the method steps. Therefore, the system, the apparatus, and each module thereof provided in the present invention can be regarded as a kind of hardware component. The module included therein for realizing each program can also be regarded as a structure in the hardware component; and the module for realizing each function can also be regarded as a software program for implementing the method or a structure in the hardware component.

[0056] The specific embodiments of the present invention are described above. It is to be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the specific implementations described above, and various variations or modifications may be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the claims, without affecting the substantive content of the present invention. The embodiments in this application and the characteristics in the embodiments can be combined mutually in the case of no conflict.