OPTICAL SWITCHING FOR QUANTUM KEY DISTRIBUTION

Abstract: a system and method for operating a quantum key distribution system including a receiver to receive an optical signal from a transmitter, the receiver including a first signal detection unit (1sdu) and a second signal detection unit (2sdu) for detecting events associated with single photons; an optical switch to alternate between a first switch position to direct a received optical signal to the 1sdu and a second switch position to direct a received optical signal to the 2sdu, such that the 1sdu and the 2sdu correspond to the first and second switch positions respectively; a detection time tagger to tag the events at the 1sdu and the 2sdu according to time, switch position, and signal detection unit, to introduce a correlation between a time in which an event is registered, the switch position, and the signal detection unit; and a timing recovery module connected to the detection time tagger.

Inventor(s): Alexander Koehler-Sidki, Ryan Parker, Omar Iqbal

CPC Classification: H04B10/60 (Receivers)

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