Multimode continuous-variable quantum key distribution with CMOS-compatible photonic-electronic integration
Abstract
Multiplexing and photonic-electronic integration offer a route to scalable and high-throughput quantum key distribution (QKD) networks through parallel transmission and compact hardware suited to volume manufacturing. Realizing this route requires multichannel transmitters and receivers, and a security analysis accounting for mode coupling. Here we present a CMOS-compatible photonic-electronic multimode continuous-variable QKD architecture, using polarization multiplexing as a two-mode example. Silicon-photonic transmitter and receiver chips prepare and detect two polarization modes in parallel. The receiver is co-integrated with a dual-channel 28-nm CMOS transimpedance amplifier, providing shot-noise clearances exceeding 20 dB in both channels. Pilot-assisted unitary digital recovery removes the need for active optical polarization control, while a multimode security analysis accounts for the mode crosstalk. At 2 percent residual crosstalk, the multimode analysis extends the simulated secure distance from 39 to 84 km, near the crosstalk-free limit of 89 km. Over 10 km of deployed fibre, the mean total finite-size secret-key rate estimate is 6.69 Mbit/s, 12 percent above the single-mode analysis from the same digitally recovered data. These results establish a route to scalable multimode quantum-secured networks built on technology suited to mass production.
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BibTeX
@misc{bian2026multimode,
title = {{Multimode continuous-variable quantum key distribution with CMOS-compatible photonic-electronic integration}},
author = {Yiming Bian and Sarah Bastiaens and Saeed Hakimi and Huy Quang Nguyen and Aboobackkar Sidhique and Cédric Bruynsteen and Govind J. Wanjalkar and Ali Al Hadi Amhaz and Jasper Jans and Axl Bomhals and Ulrik L. Andersen and Tobias Gehring and Xin Yin and Adnan A. E. Hajomer},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.35410},
eprint = {2610.35410},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.35410},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Multimode continuous-variable quantum key distribution with CMOS-compatible photonic-electronic integration
AU - Yiming Bian
AU - Sarah Bastiaens
AU - Saeed Hakimi
AU - Huy Quang Nguyen
AU - Aboobackkar Sidhique
AU - Cédric Bruynsteen
AU - Govind J. Wanjalkar
AU - Ali Al Hadi Amhaz
AU - Jasper Jans
AU - Axl Bomhals
AU - Ulrik L. Andersen
AU - Tobias Gehring
AU - Xin Yin
AU - Adnan A. E. Hajomer
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.35410
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.35410
AB - Multiplexing and photonic-electronic integration offer a route to scalable and high-throughput quantum key distribution (QKD) networks through parallel transmission and compact hardware suited to volume manufacturing. Realizing this route requires multichannel transmitters and receivers, and a security analysis accounting for mode coupling. Here we present a CMOS-compatible photonic-electronic multimode continuous-variable QKD architecture, using polarization multiplexing as a two-mode example. Silicon-photonic transmitter and receiver chips prepare and detect two polarization modes in parallel. The receiver is co-integrated with a dual-channel 28-nm CMOS transimpedance amplifier, providing shot-noise clearances exceeding 20 dB in both channels. Pilot-assisted unitary digital recovery removes the need for active optical polarization control, while a multimode security analysis accounts for the mode crosstalk. At 2 percent residual crosstalk, the multimode analysis extends the simulated secure distance from 39 to 84 km, near the crosstalk-free limit of 89 km. Over 10 km of deployed fibre, the mean total finite-size secret-key rate estimate is 6.69 Mbit/s, 12 percent above the single-mode analysis from the same digitally recovered data. These results establish a route to scalable multimode quantum-secured networks built on technology suited to mass production.
ER -