Corning Incorporated
Methods and systems for empty pulse mitigation in quantum key distribution systems using entangled photons

Abstract:

A method of communicating information includes generating a photon pulse using an entangled photon generator. The photon pulse includes a photon pulse state and is temporally positioned within a photon pulse time slot. When the photon pulse is in a populated photon pulse state, it includes first and second entangled photons and the entangled photon generator outputs the first entangled photon into a first photon pathway optically coupled to an output end photon detector unit, and the second entangled photon into a second photon pathway, optically coupled to a receiving end photon detector unit. The method also includes determining the photon pulse state of the photon pulse using the output end photon detector unit, which outputs a signal regarding the photon pulse state of the photon pulse into a signal pathway to provide the receiving end photon detector unit with information regarding the photon pulse state of the photon pulse.