Within the ALLEGRO project, we are exploring how Quantum Digital Twin (QDT) concepts can enhance Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) systems.
Our work starts by detailing the quantum channel (qCh) components — their functionalities and imperfections — and identifying how DARIUS can leverage these aspects to improve QKD performance. Finally, we introduce three DARIUS use cases that address real-world challenges.
📡 System Overview (see Figure 32):
- QTx (Quantum Transmitter):
- Single Photon Emitter (SPE) generates photons.
- Wave Plate modifies the photons’ State of Polarization (SOP) based on the transmitted qubit.
- SMF (Single Mode Fiber): Connects QTx to QRx, but can distort SOP and introduce photon loss due to environmental factors.
- QRx (Quantum Receiver):
- Balanced Beam Splitter (BS) randomly selects measurement basis (R or D) but may also cause photon loss.
- Electronic Polarization Controllers (EPCs) compensate SOP distortions via tunable retardation/orientation.
- Polarizing Beam Splitter (PBS) separates photons into H and V polarization states, introducing minor losses.
- Wave Plate in the D basis enables measurement of D or A polarized photons.
- Single Photon Detectors (SPDs) count photons — though affected by dark counts, i.e., false detections.
💡 Why this matters:
Understanding and modeling these imperfections is crucial for designing robust QKD systems. By integrating them into a QDT framework, DARIUS can:
- Enhance QKD resilience against channel distortions.
- Optimize SOP compensation strategies.
- Predict and mitigate photon loss impacts in real time.
Stay tuned as we share more about the three DARIUS use cases and how they bring us closer to next-generation secure quantum communication.
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