ETSI GR QKD 003 V2.1.1 (2018-03)

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD); Components and Internal Interfaces

RGR/QKD-003ed2

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 15-Mar-2018
• Technical Committee: QKD - Quantum Key Distribution
• Current Stage: 12 - Completion
• Due Date: 08-Mar-2018
• Completion Date: 16-Mar-2018

Standards Content (Sample)

ETSI GR QKD 003 V2.1.1 (2018-03)






GROUP REPORT
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD);
Components and Internal Interfaces
Disclaimer
The present document has been produced and approved by the Group Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) ETSI Industry
Specification Group (ISG) and represents the views of those members who participated in this ISG.
It does not necessarily represent the views of the entire ETSI membership.

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2 ETSI GR QKD 003 V2.1.1 (2018-03)



Reference
RGR/QKD-003ed2
Keywords
interface, quantum key distribution

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3 ETSI GR QKD 003 V2.1.1 (2018-03)
Contents
Intellectual Property Rights . 5
Foreword . 5
Modal verbs terminology . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 References . 6
2.1 Normative references . 6
2.2 Informative references . 6
3 Definitions, symbols and abbreviations . 9
3.1 Definitions . 9
3.2 Symbols . 10
3.3 Abbreviations . 10
4 QKD systems . 11
4.1 Generic description. 11
4.2 Weak Laser Pulse QKD Implementations . 12
4.2.1 Generic Description . 12
4.2.2 One-Way Mach-Zehnder . 13
4.2.3 Send-and-return scheme (Mach-Zehnder) . 14
4.2.4 Phase-Intensity Modulator Implementation . 15
4.2.5 Coherent One-Way (COW) . 15
4.3 Entanglement-based QKD Implementations . 16
4.4 Continuous-Variable QKD Implementations . 17
4.4.1 Generic Description . 17
4.4.2 Transmitted Local Oscillator: TLO-CV-QKD scheme . 17
4.4.3 Local Local Oscillator: LLO-CV-QKD scheme . 19
5 Photon Detector . 20
5.1 Single-Photon Detector . 20
5.1.1 Generic Description and Parametrization . 20
5.1.2 InGaAs Single-Photon Avalanche Photodiodes. 23
5.1.2.1 Generic Description . 23
5.1.2.2 Gated-mode operation . 23
5.1.2.3 Free-running operation . 25
5.1.3 Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) . 25
5.2 Photon Detector for a CV-QKD Set-up . 26
5.2.1 Coherent Detection . 26
5.2.2 Single-quadrature homodyne detection . 28
5.2.3 Dual-quadrature homodyne detection . 28
5.2.4 Heterodyne Detection . 28
5.2.5 CV-QKD Detector Parameters . 29
6 QKD Source . 30
6.1 Single-photon source . 30
6.1.1 Generic Description and Parametrization . 30
6.1.2 True Single-Photon Sources . 33
6.1.3 Weak Pulses . 34
6.1.3.1 Weak Laser . 34
6.1.3.2 Intensity-Modulated Weak Laser . 34
6.1.3.3 Phase-Coherent Weak Laser . 35
6.1.3.4 Composite Weak Laser . 35
6.1.4 Entangled-photon sources . 36
6.2 Continuous-Variable QKD Source . 37
7 Modulators . 37
Annex A: Discrete Variable Protocols . 40
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A.1 BB84. 40
A.1.1 Basic protocol . 40
A.1.2 Refinements . 40
A.1.2.1 State preparation - imperfections . 40
A.1.2.2 Multi-photon emission . 40
A.1.2.2.1 Security loophole . 40
A.1.2.2.2 Decoy state method . 41
A.1.2.2.3 SARG04 . 41
A.2 Entanglement-based . 41
A.2.1 Overview . 41
A.2.2 E91 . 41
A.2.3 BBM92 . 41
A.3 Distributed-phase reference protocols . 42
A.3.1 Overview . 42
A.3.2 Differential phase shift (DPS) . 42
A.3.3 Coherent One-Way (COW) . 42
A.4 Measurement-Device Independent (MDI) . 43
A.4.1 Overview . 43
Annex B: Continuous Variable Protocols . 44
B.1 Basic Protocols . 44
B.1.1 Basic protocols . 44
Annex C: Authors & contributors . 45
Annex D: Change History . 46
History . 47


ETSI

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5 ETSI GR QKD 003 V2.1.1 (2018-03)
Intellectual Property Rights
Essential patents
IPRs essential or potentially essential to normative deliverables may have been declared to ETSI. The information
pertaining to these essential IPRs, if any, is publicly available for ETSI members and non-members, and can be found
in ETSI SR 000 314: "Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs); Essential, or potentially Essential, IPRs notified to ETSI in
respect of ETSI standards", which is available from the ETSI Secretariat. Latest updates are available on the ETSI Web
server (https://ipr.etsi.org/).
Pursuant to the ETSI IPR Policy, no investigation, including IPR searches, has been carried out by ETSI. No guarantee
can be given as to the existence of other IPRs not referenced in ETSI SR 000 314 (or the updates on the ETSI Web
server) which are, or may be, or may become, essential to the present document.
Trademarks
The present document may include trademarks and/or tradenames which are asserted and/or registered by their owners.
ETSI claims no ownership of these except for any which are indicated as being the property of ETSI, and conveys no
right to use or reproduce any trademark and/or tradename. Mention of those trademarks in the present document does
not constitute an endorsement by ETSI of products, services or organizations associated with those trademarks.
Foreword
This Group Report (GR) has been produced by ETSI Industry Specification Group (ISG) Group Quantum Key
Distribution (QKD).
Modal verbs terminology
In the present document "should", "should not", "may", "need not", "will", "will not", "can" and "cannot" are to be
interpreted as described in clause 3.2 of the ETSI Drafting Rules (Verbal forms for the expression of provisions).
"must" and "must not" are NOT allowed in ETSI deliverables except when used in direct citation.

ETSI

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6 ETSI GR QKD 003 V2.1.1 (2018-03)
1 Scope
The present document is a preparatory action for the definition of properties of components and internal interfaces of
QKD Systems. Irrespective of the underlying technologies, there are certain devices that appear in most QKD Systems.
These are e.g. quantum physical devices such as photon sources and detectors, or classical equipment such as protocol
processing computer hardware and operating systems. For these components, relevant properties should be identified
that will subsequently be subject to standardization. Furthermore, a catalogue of relevant requirements for interfaces
between components should be established, to support the upcoming definition of internal interfaces.
2 References
2.1 Normative references
Normative references are not applicable in the present document.
2.2 Informative references
References are either specific (identified by date of publication and/or edition number or version number) or
non-specific. For specific references, only the cited version applies. For non-specific references, the latest version of the
referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
NOTE: While any hyperlinks included in this clause were valid at the time of publication, ETSI cannot guarantee
their long term validity.
The following referenced documents are not necessary for the application of the present document but they assist the
user with regard to a particular subject area.
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3 Definitions, symbols and abbreviations
3.1 Definitions
For the purposes of the present document, the following terms and definitions apply:
Alice: quantum information sender/transmitter in a QKD system
Bob: quantum information receiver in a QKD system
classical channel: communication channel that is used by two communicating parties for exchanging data encoded in a
form which may be non-destructively read and fully reproduced
Eve or eavesdropper: any adversary intending to intercept data in a quantum or classical channel
intensity modulator: device that can actively modulate its transmittance of optical signals passing through it
IQ modulator: device that can actively modulate both the in-phase component (denoted by 'I') and the quadrature
component (denoted by 'Q') of optical signals passing through it
phase modulator: device that can actively modulate the phase of optical signals passing through it
prepare-and-measure scheme: scheme where the quantum optical signals used for QKD are prepared by Alice and
sent to Bob for measurement
NOTE: Entanglement-based schemes where entangled states are prepared externally to Alice and Bob are not
normally considered "prepare-and-measure". Schemes where entanglement is generated within Alice can
still be considered "prepare-and-measure". Send-and-return schemes can still be "prepare-and-measure" if
the information content from which keys will be derived is prepared within Alice before being sent to
Bob for measurement.
quantum channel: communication channel for transmitting quantum signals
quantum photon source: optical source for carrying quantum information
random number generator: physical device outputting unpredictable binary bit sequences
send-and-return scheme: scheme where
...