Characterisation of an InP-based PIC Transmitter in a QKD setup

Aaron Stadler; Martin Achleitner; Julian Konig; Ozan Çirkinoglu; Marie-Christine Slater; Xaveer J.M. Leijtens; Hannes Huebel

doi:10.1109/ICTON67126.2025.11125076

Characterisation of an InP-based PIC Transmitter in a QKD setup

Aaron Stadler (Corresponding author)
, Martin Achleitner
, Julian Konig
, Ozan Çirkinoglu
, Marie-Christine Slater
, Xaveer J.M. Leijtens
, Hannes Huebel

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic

1 Citation (Scopus)

62 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In this work, an indium phosphide (InP) based quantum key distribution (QKD) transmitter on a photonic integrated circuit (PICs) is examined. The PIC, which was designed by the authors from Eindhoven University of Technology, and characterised in the QKD system by the authors from Austrian Institute of Technology, features a ring laser structure, a single Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) structure with integrated radio frequency (RF) phase modulators for pulse carving, intensity modulation and phase modulation and an absorber for attenuation. The individual components were characterised. Additionally, the PIC was tested in a 4-state time-bin BB84 protocol including a bulk receiver, key performance measures like quantum bit error rate (QBER) and secret key rate (SKR) were analysed. The high performance PIC is capable of generating a SKR in the kbits/s range exhibiting high stability over a measured time frame of around an hour.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	2025 25th Anniversary International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks, ICTON 2025
Editors	Crina Cojocaru, Salvatore Spadaro, Marian Marciniak
Publisher	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Number of pages	4
ISBN (Electronic)	979-8-3315-9777-1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/ICTON67126.2025.11125076
Publication status	Published - 25 Aug 2025
Event	2025 25th Anniversary International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON) - Barcelona, Spain Duration: 6 Jul 2025 → 10 Jul 2025

Conference

Conference	2025 25th Anniversary International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON)
Country/Territory	Spain
City	Barcelona
Period	6/07/25 → 10/07/25

Funding

This work has received funding from the EU Horizon Eu-rope Work Programme under project QSNP (no. 101114043) and Qu-Test (no.101113901).

Keywords

Photonic Integrated Circuits
quantum key distribution
bit error rate
intensity modulation
Phase Modulation
Secret Key
Bit Error
Key Rate

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10.1109/ICTON67126.2025.11125076

pdfFinal published version, 989 KBLicence: TAVERNE

Cite this

Stadler, A., Achleitner, M., Konig, J., Çirkinoglu, O., Slater, M.-C., Leijtens, X. J. M., & Huebel, H. (2025). Characterisation of an InP-based PIC Transmitter in a QKD setup. In C. Cojocaru, S. Spadaro, & M. Marciniak (Eds.), 2025 25th Anniversary International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks, ICTON 2025 Article 11125076 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICTON67126.2025.11125076

@inproceedings{9d7bbc43e5c6457ebbe48eeb1b5e2b66,

title = "Characterisation of an InP-based PIC Transmitter in a QKD setup",

abstract = "In this work, an indium phosphide (InP) based quantum key distribution (QKD) transmitter on a photonic integrated circuit (PICs) is examined. The PIC, which was designed by the authors from Eindhoven University of Technology, and characterised in the QKD system by the authors from Austrian Institute of Technology, features a ring laser structure, a single Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) structure with integrated radio frequency (RF) phase modulators for pulse carving, intensity modulation and phase modulation and an absorber for attenuation. The individual components were characterised. Additionally, the PIC was tested in a 4-state time-bin BB84 protocol including a bulk receiver, key performance measures like quantum bit error rate (QBER) and secret key rate (SKR) were analysed. The high performance PIC is capable of generating a SKR in the kbits/s range exhibiting high stability over a measured time frame of around an hour.",

keywords = "Photonic Integrated Circuits, quantum key distribution, bit error rate, intensity modulation, Phase Modulation, Secret Key, Bit Error, Key Rate",

author = "Aaron Stadler and Martin Achleitner and Julian Konig and Ozan {\c C}irkinoglu and Marie-Christine Slater and Leijtens, \{Xaveer J.M.\} and Hannes Huebel",

year = "2025",

month = aug,

day = "25",

doi = "10.1109/ICTON67126.2025.11125076",

language = "English",

editor = "Crina Cojocaru and Salvatore Spadaro and Marian Marciniak",

booktitle = "2025 25th Anniversary International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks, ICTON 2025",

publisher = "Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers",

address = "United States",

note = "2025 25th Anniversary International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON) ; Conference date: 06-07-2025 Through 10-07-2025",

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Stadler, A, Achleitner, M, Konig, J, Çirkinoglu, O, Slater, M-C, Leijtens, XJM & Huebel, H 2025, Characterisation of an InP-based PIC Transmitter in a QKD setup. in C Cojocaru, S Spadaro & M Marciniak (eds), 2025 25th Anniversary International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks, ICTON 2025., 11125076, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 2025 25th Anniversary International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON), Barcelona, Spain, 6/07/25. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICTON67126.2025.11125076

Characterisation of an InP-based PIC Transmitter in a QKD setup. / Stadler, Aaron (Corresponding author); Achleitner, Martin; Konig, Julian et al.
2025 25th Anniversary International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks, ICTON 2025. ed. / Crina Cojocaru; Salvatore Spadaro; Marian Marciniak. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, 2025. 11125076.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic

TY - GEN

T1 - Characterisation of an InP-based PIC Transmitter in a QKD setup

AU - Stadler, Aaron

AU - Achleitner, Martin

AU - Konig, Julian

AU - Çirkinoglu, Ozan

AU - Slater, Marie-Christine

AU - Leijtens, Xaveer J.M.

AU - Huebel, Hannes

PY - 2025/8/25

Y1 - 2025/8/25

N2 - In this work, an indium phosphide (InP) based quantum key distribution (QKD) transmitter on a photonic integrated circuit (PICs) is examined. The PIC, which was designed by the authors from Eindhoven University of Technology, and characterised in the QKD system by the authors from Austrian Institute of Technology, features a ring laser structure, a single Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) structure with integrated radio frequency (RF) phase modulators for pulse carving, intensity modulation and phase modulation and an absorber for attenuation. The individual components were characterised. Additionally, the PIC was tested in a 4-state time-bin BB84 protocol including a bulk receiver, key performance measures like quantum bit error rate (QBER) and secret key rate (SKR) were analysed. The high performance PIC is capable of generating a SKR in the kbits/s range exhibiting high stability over a measured time frame of around an hour.

AB - In this work, an indium phosphide (InP) based quantum key distribution (QKD) transmitter on a photonic integrated circuit (PICs) is examined. The PIC, which was designed by the authors from Eindhoven University of Technology, and characterised in the QKD system by the authors from Austrian Institute of Technology, features a ring laser structure, a single Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) structure with integrated radio frequency (RF) phase modulators for pulse carving, intensity modulation and phase modulation and an absorber for attenuation. The individual components were characterised. Additionally, the PIC was tested in a 4-state time-bin BB84 protocol including a bulk receiver, key performance measures like quantum bit error rate (QBER) and secret key rate (SKR) were analysed. The high performance PIC is capable of generating a SKR in the kbits/s range exhibiting high stability over a measured time frame of around an hour.

KW - Photonic Integrated Circuits

KW - quantum key distribution

KW - bit error rate

KW - intensity modulation

KW - Phase Modulation

KW - Secret Key

KW - Bit Error

KW - Key Rate

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105016106660

U2 - 10.1109/ICTON67126.2025.11125076

DO - 10.1109/ICTON67126.2025.11125076

M3 - Conference contribution

BT - 2025 25th Anniversary International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks, ICTON 2025

A2 - Cojocaru, Crina

A2 - Spadaro, Salvatore

A2 - Marciniak, Marian

PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

T2 - 2025 25th Anniversary International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON)

Y2 - 6 July 2025 through 10 July 2025

ER -

Stadler A, Achleitner M, Konig J, Çirkinoglu O, Slater MC, Leijtens XJM et al. Characterisation of an InP-based PIC Transmitter in a QKD setup. In Cojocaru C, Spadaro S, Marciniak M, editors, 2025 25th Anniversary International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks, ICTON 2025. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. 2025. 11125076 doi: 10.1109/ICTON67126.2025.11125076

Characterisation of an InP-based PIC Transmitter in a QKD setup

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