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A cluster-based networking approach for large-scale and wide-area quantum key agreement

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Abstract

Quantum key distribution (QKD), a cryptographic technology developed to generate random secure keys, can realize unconditional secure remote classical communication in theory. However, QKD technology is currently confronted with two core problems: the extension of key distribution distance and the implementation of concurrent key agreements between multiple pairs of QKD nodes. To overcome these problems, in this paper, we present an innovative design—a cluster-based QKD network structure—which is composed of QKD nodes grouped into clusters interconnected by a backbone. A cluster serves as an access network in a master-slave structure to enable effective intra-cluster key agreements. To expand the key distribution over a longer distance and support concurrent key agreements, quantum repeaters are interconnected to form a mesh network as the QKD backbone. In our design, long-range QKD could be achieved by entanglement swapping performed in the backbone network, and the master-slave structure of the clusters is beneficial to the performance of the cluster-based QKD network. The simulation results show that the distance between two neighboring quantum repeaters, the size of quantum memory, quantum memory life-time, the success probability of entanglement distribution, and the success probability of entanglement swapping are essential factors affecting the key generation rate.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the financial support by Anhui Initiative in Quantum Information Technologies under grant No. AHY150300 and Youth Innovation Promotion Association Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) under Grant No. Y202093. The datasets generated and analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Cyber Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China

    Zhonghui Li, Kaiping Xue, Qidong Jia, Jian Li & Nenghai Yu

  2. Department of Electronic Engineering and Information Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China

    Kaiping Xue & Nenghai Yu

  3. Department of Computer and Information Science, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA

    David S. L. Wei

  4. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL, 35899, USA

    Jianqing Liu

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  1. Zhonghui Li
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Correspondence to Kaiping Xue.

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Li, Z., Xue, K., Jia, Q. et al. A cluster-based networking approach for large-scale and wide-area quantum key agreement. Quantum Inf Process 21, 192 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11128-022-03528-3

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