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Project Mission |
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To conduct quantum information related
research to: |
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Provide solutions for advanced quantum
information science and technology to enhance US industrial
competitiveness. |
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Develop and exploit new
calibration and metrology techniques to achieve standardization in the
area of quantum information and communication.
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Provide an infrastructure for quantum key
distribution metrology, testing, calibration, and technology
development. |
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About Us |
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Publications
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Links |
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Collaborations
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Team |
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Developments
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Opportunities
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Most Resent Publications |
Lijun Ma, Alan Mink, Hai Xu, Oliver
Slattery and Xiao Tang, "Experimental Demonstration of an Active Quantum
Key Distribution Network with Over Gbps Clock Syschronization", IEEE
Communications Letters, Vol 11, No.12, December 2007.
Hai Xu, Lijun Ma, Alan Mink, Barry Hershman and Xiao Tang, "1310-nm quantum
key distribution system with up-conversion pump wavelength at 1550 nm",
Optics Express, Vol. 15, Issue 12, pp. 7247-7260. June 11, 2007.
Robert H. Hadfield, Jonathan L. Habif, John Schlafer, Lijun
Ma, Alan Mink, Xiao Tang, Sae Woo Nam, “Quantum key distribution with
high-speed superconducting single-photon detectors”, Technical Digest,
QML4, CLEO 2007, Baltimore, Maryland USA. May 8-10, 2007.
Xiao Tang, Lijun Ma, Alan Mink, Anastase Nakassis, Hai
Xu, Barry Hershman, Joshua Bienfang, David Su, Ronald F. Boisvert, Charles
Clark, and Carl Williams, "Demonstration of an Active Quantum Key Distribution
Network", Proc. SPIE Vol. 6305, 630506. August 29, 2006.
Lijun Ma, Hai Xu, and Xiao Tang, "Polarization recovery
and auto-compensation in Quantum Key Distribution network", Proc. SPIE
Vol. 6305, 630513. August 30, 2006.
D. J. Rogers, C. J. Bienfang, A. Mink, B. Hershman, A.
Nakassis, X. Tang, L. Ma, D. H. Su, C. J. Williams, C. W. Clark, "Free
space quantum cryptography in the H-alpha Fraunhofer window", Proc. SPIE
Vol. 6304, 630417, September 1, 2006.
All Publications.
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Quantum Networks |
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Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is an emerging technology that
uses the fundamental laws of quantum physics in order to ensure
secure communication. Quantum networks enable secure distribution of
quantum crypto keys among multiple users in a commercial network
infrastructure.
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What are the issues we are
trying to address? | Our
nation's business and defense require secure transmission of
information over communication links. There is a continuing need to
develop advanced technologies to safeguard data transmission and
communications. QKD has been shown to be an effective cryptography
key distribution mechanism when quantum computing becomes a reality,
but it is still a developing technology. In order to make QKD
practical, we need to improve its performance in terms of key
generation speed, transmission distance, and lowering error rates.
We need to develop measurement methodologies and metrics for the new
system, and new protocols and standards for the new QKD
infrastructure.
View a
video about our quantum research (2:32 minutes)
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What are we doing to address
these issues? | We have
built an open system for research, testing, calibrations, and
technology development in a real-world telecommunications
environment. We are developing a testbed and measurement
infrastructure for testing new photon sources and detectors, and new
methods for transmitting quantum keys over standard telecom
infrastructures.
| Accomplishments and future
outlook for Quantum Networks? |
In 2000 the NIST Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), in
collaboration with the NIST Physics Laboratory and with the support
of DARPA, initiated a project to build the infrastructure for a
high-speed Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system using a free space
link. By 2004 we demonstrated free space QKD over 730 meters at a
key rate of 1 Mbit/s.
In 2005 ITL began to research QKD in fiber, and by 2006 we had
developed a fiber channel QKD system with 4.14 Mbits/s key rates at
over 1 km of fiber while maintaining a quantum bit error rate (QBER)
as low as 3.4%. Also, by 2006 we demonstrated QKD transmission using
telecom wavelengths for optimal distances, built a novel frequency
up-conversion module with very low noise for optimal transmission
and detection of photons, and demonstrated a three-user QKD network
(one Alice and two Bobs), suitable for QKD local-area-networks
(LANs). We will be extending the range to cover
Metropolitan-area-networks (MANs).
For more information concerning this program, please contact
project leader Dr. Xiao Tang (xiao.tang@nist.gov).
Keywords: quantum communication, cryptography & key
distribution (QKD), BB84, free space optics, photon source/dectors.
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Technical Developments |
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Record key
speed set by fiber QKD system at NIST:
 A QKD system, built in ITL, produced quantum
secure keys at a rate of more than 2 million bits per second (bps)
over 1 kilometer (km) of optical fiber. This is a step toward using
conventional optical fiber to distribute quantum crypto keys in local-area
networks (LANs).Read more here. |
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Three-User active QKD network developed by
ITL researchers:
 ITL researchers have developed a high speed active
three-node QKD network, in which the QKD path can be routed by optical
switches. Using this network, a QKD secured video surveillance system
has been successfully demonstrated. Read more
here.
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NIST QKD system at 1310 nm combines speed and
distance:
 NIST researchers developed a quantum key distribution
system with photons being transmitted at 1310 nm, where fiber loss
is small, and after wavelength conversion, being detected at 710
nm, where single photons can be detected with good performance.
Read more here.
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Wireless QKD
demonstrated by ITL and PL researchers:
 Scientists from ITL and the Physics Labarotory
tested a QKD by transmitting photons over free space between two NIST
buildings that are 730 meters apart. Read more
here. |
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High-speed electronic control board makes
NIST QKD system unique:
 High-speed electronics boards for controlling
the NIST QKD system were designed for both the key sender (Alice)
and receiver (Bob). An FPGA on each board allows for complex parallel
logic that is reprogramable providing a path for revisions and enhancements.
Read
more here. |
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Low-noise frequency
up-conversion single photon detector demonstrated by
NIST:
 Fiber loss is small around 1310 nm and 1550 nm.
Single photons can be detected with good performance between 600 and
900 nm. The up-conversion, technology, developed by ITL, helps to
solve this dilemma. Read more here. |
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Error-correction software:
 NIST computer scientists have developed
a high-speed approach to error correction adapted from telecommunications
techniques. This makes it possible to correct bit errors rapidly without
time-consuming discussions between sender and receiver and without
wasting key bits by revealing it to a potential eavesdropper. Read more
here. |
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Early Development:
 Follow the various phases of the
early development of the Quantum Information Networks project. Read more
here. |
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