Continuous Variable Quantum Encryption using Short Laser Pulses

Wireless links are currently protected from eavesdropping by protocols which may be broken by sufficiently advanced computers. Quantum encryption techniques use fundamental physics principles to obtain unconditionally secure secret key, unbreakable even by a quantum computer, with which to encode data. Toyon/JPL proposes to research and design architectures for continuous-variable quantum encryption using short laser pulses, which have the promise of very high bit rate compared to existing systems. We propose to do so in three areas. First, we will specify how to optimize the performance of link key exchange via design optimization of the detection measurement, both in boosting the distance over which continuous-variable encryption can be carried out and in raising the detector efficiency in certain regimes. In addition, we propose to incorporate new error correction schemes to process the high bit rate information. Finally, we will integrate unconditionally secure quantum authentication protocols. We expect that the resulting architectures will make feasible land based fiber optic links as well as to satellite-to-ground systems.