Secure Quantum Key Distribution over 421 km of Optical Fiber

Phys Rev Lett. 2018 Nov 9;121(19):190502. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.190502.

Abstract

We present a quantum key distribution system with a 2.5 GHz repetition rate using a three-state time-bin protocol combined with a one-decoy approach. Taking advantage of superconducting single-photon detectors optimized for quantum key distribution and ultralow-loss fiber, we can distribute secret keys at a maximum distance of 421 km and obtain secret key rates of 6.5 bps over 405 km.