Analysis of Classical and Quantum Information Interface Requirements (ACQuIIRe): High-Speed Quantum Encryption over a Classical Network

This SBIR Phase-I project is aimed at exploiting an exciting new invention in the area of quantum cryptography to secure the physical layer of today's ubiquitous fiber-optic data networks. Unlike the techniques based on single-photon states that are confined to low bit rates and short distances, our approach is based on coherent states emitted by ordinary lasers that permits scaling to speeds in today's networks (~10 Gbps) and deployment over realistic distances (~500 km). We have already demonstrated single channel speeds of 0.25 Gbps over 100 km distance. In this SBIR we aim to scale this present capability to 2.5 Gbps in a WDM system over distances reaching 400 km. Within Phase-I we will address three fundamental issues: additional noise arising within the encrypted channel bandwidth due to existence of other channels, calibration of the encrypting and decrypting modulators that set the level of security, and design and development of a 2.5 Gbps compatible stream cipher. We believe that given the versatility of NuCrypt's devices in being able to set the level of security, we will be able to provide the End Users with a wide range of price/security-level combinations, thus seamlessly bringing quantum technology into classical data networks.