Hong Guo

A coherent-state point-to-multipoint protocol is proposed to simultaneously support multiple independent quantum key distribution links between a single transmitter and massive receivers. Every prepared coherent state is measured by all receivers to generate raw keys, then processed with a secure and high-efficient key distillation method to remove the correlations between different links. The simulation results show that it can achieve remarkably high key rates even with a hundred of access points. Further, a proof-of-principle experiment with one network node and four end users has been demonstrated, where the average secret key rate of 4.1 Mbps between the transmitter and each one receiver is achieved, resulting in two orders-of-magnitude higher than previous networks. This scheme is a promising step towards a high-rate multi-user solution in a scalable quantum secure network.

Continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (CV-MDI QKD) can address vulnerabilities on the detection side of a QKD system. The core of this protocol involves continuous-variable Bell measurements performed by an untrusted third party. However, in high-speed systems, spectrum broadening causes Bell measurements to deviate from the ideal single-mode scenario, resulting in mode mismatches, reduced performance, and compromised security. Here, we introduce temporal modes (TMs) to analyze the security and performance of CV-MDI QKD under continuous-mode scenarios. The mismatch between Bob’s transmitting mode and Bell-measurement mode has a more significant effect on system performance compared to that on Alice’s side. When the Bell receiver is close to Bob and the mismatch is set to just 5%, the transmission distance drastically decreases from 87.96 km to 18.50 km. In comparison, the same mismatch for Alice reduces the distance to 86.83 km. This greater degradation on Bob’s side can be attributed to the asymmetry in the data modification step. These results indicate that, in scenarios involving continuous-mode interference, such as large-scale MDI network setups, careful consideration of each user’s TM characteristics is crucial. Rigorous precalibration of these modes is essential to ensure the system’s reliability and efficiency.