Free-space quantum key distribution with entangled photons
Ivan Marcikic, Antía Lamas-Linares, Christian Kurtsiefer · Applied Physics Letters · 2006
The authors report on a complete experimental implementation of a quantum key distribution protocol through a free-space link using polarization-entangled photon pairs from a compact parametric downconversion source. Over 10h of uninterrupted communication between sites 1.5km apart, they observe average key generation rates of 630∕s after error correction and privacy amplification. Their scheme requires no specific hardware channel for synchronization apart from a classical wireless link, and no explicit random number generator.