Quantum Communications for Security and Quantum Computing
field.” The result was that the QKD hardware was tested successfully in variable conditions, including magnetic fields, high electric fields, high and low temperatures, and fluctuating humidity. The QKD-encrypted data held up. This opens the door to secure communications between substations, in effect creating a distributed quantum-protected network along the power-grid pathway.
While the ORNL tests are still in the early stages, they prove that QKD hardware is a viable approach to modernizing the grid while also mitigating risk of cyberattacks.
4.2 A MORE SECURE BANKING SYSTEM
The potential for“ harvest now, de-crypt later” attacks in the financial sector is enormous, putting banks at the forefront of investigating and innovating quantum security. One such example is JPMorgan Chase [ 27 ], which aligned with Toshiba and Ciena to successfully test an 800 Gbps QKDsecured optical channel integrated into a metro-scale operational environment.
While previous QKD implementations demonstrated its feasibility, most experiments were conducted on dedicated, low-capacity networks rather than real-world, high-capacity operational environments. The research team developed a testbed that multiplexed the quantum channel with Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexed( DWDM) optical channels on the same fiber, a crucial requirement for real-world deployment. The study demonstrated a secret key rate( SKR) of 66.16 kbps at 70 km, capable of supporting 258 QKD-secured DWDM data channels using AES-256-GCM encryption. The system maintained secure communication up to 100 km, achieving an SKR of 2 kbps at that distance.
Key challenges addressed included inter-channel interference, attenuation, and polarization fluctuations. The team observed that placing the quantum channel in the O-band instead of the C-band reduced Raman scattering [ 28 ], significantly improving key rates. Additionally, a blockchain application was transmitted over the quantum-secured channel to demonstrate its potential in securing financial transactions.
This study marks a significant step toward the practical deployment of QKD in mission-critical, high-capacity environments such as inter-data center networks. The findings highlight the system’ s robustness against real-world degradation factors and provide insights into optimizing QKD-secured networks for future large-scale applications.
4.3 QKD IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS
As cyber threats intensify and quantum computing matures, telecommunications systems face critical vulnerabilities in traditional encryption schemes. One recently published study [ 29 ] investigated the integration of QKD into telecom infrastructures, specifically addressing how quantum cryptography can secure high-volume, real-time data transmission over fiber-optic and satellite networks.
126 May 2025