Unconditionally secure quantum key distribution over 50km of standard telecom fibre

Gobby, C.; Yuan, Z. L.; Shields, A. J.

Unconditionally secure quantum key distribution over 50km of standard telecom fibre

Authors

Gobby, C.

Yuan, Z. L.

Shields, A. J.

Description

We demonstrate a weak pulse quantum key distribution system using the BB84 protocol which is secure against all individual attacks, including photon number splitting. By carefully controlling the weak pulse intensity we demonstrate the maximum secure bit rate as a function of the fibre length. Unconditionally secure keys can be formed for standard telecom fibres exceeding 50 km in length.
9 pages 2 figures