Secure Medical Data Transmission Using Quantum Key Distribution and Post-Quantum Cryptography in Real-World Fiber Networks
Abstract
The threat quantum computers pose to classical public-key cryptography motivates the deployment of quantum-safe communication for critical infrastructure such as healthcare, finance, and energy systems. Quantum key distribution (QKD) and post-quantum cryptography (PQC) offer complementary security guarantees, information-theoretic key exchange and quantum-resistant end-to-end authentication that can be combined in a layered architecture. Here, we demonstrate a field-deployed quantum-secure network integrating entanglement-based QKD with end-to-end PQC over 140 km of installed fiber in Thuringia, Germany, connecting a rural health kiosk to a university hospital via a trusted-node architecture comprising heterogeneous underground and aerial fiber links. Unlike conventional deployments that rely on a dedicated key management system to forward keys to applications, our architecture injects QKD keys directly into standard Linux-based VPN tunnels between adjacent nodes, while PQC secures the communication end-to-end, remaining fully compatible with existing infrastructure and software. Polarization-entangled photon pairs were generated at 810 nm and 1550 nm, with the telecom photon transmitted over deployed fiber. Active polarization stabilization and dispersion compensation preserve the entanglement and enable 22 days of continuous, fully autonomous operation, further underscoring the technological maturity of entanglement-based QKD approaches in a real-world fiber environment. Although the two deployed links were operated during separate rather than concurrent periods, the predominantly aerial link exhibited markedly greater instability, with QBER variations most strongly correlated with wind speed. The generated keys secured a telemedicine proof-of-concept without modifying existing medical systems, demonstrating a practical framework for quantum-safe critical infrastructures.
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BibTeX
@misc{dosan2026secure,
title = {{Secure Medical Data Transmission Using Quantum Key Distribution and Post-Quantum Cryptography in Real-World Fiber Networks}},
author = {Vasile-Laurentiu Dosan and Paul Spooren and Sebastian Moeckel and Alessandro Zannotti and Alek Lagarrigue and Pablo Vazquez and Marc Bodenstein and Jonas Jelonek and Sarika Mishra and Jansen Dwan and Natasa Pavlovic Tucakovic and Fabian Steinlechner and Kevin Füchsel and Thomas Hühn and Oliver de Vries},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2608.18869},
eprint = {2608.18869},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.18869},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Secure Medical Data Transmission Using Quantum Key Distribution and Post-Quantum Cryptography in Real-World Fiber Networks
AU - Vasile-Laurentiu Dosan
AU - Paul Spooren
AU - Sebastian Moeckel
AU - Alessandro Zannotti
AU - Alek Lagarrigue
AU - Pablo Vazquez
AU - Marc Bodenstein
AU - Jonas Jelonek
AU - Sarika Mishra
AU - Jansen Dwan
AU - Natasa Pavlovic Tucakovic
AU - Fabian Steinlechner
AU - Kevin Füchsel
AU - Thomas Hühn
AU - Oliver de Vries
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/11
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2608.18869
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.18869
AB - The threat quantum computers pose to classical public-key cryptography motivates the deployment of quantum-safe communication for critical infrastructure such as healthcare, finance, and energy systems. Quantum key distribution (QKD) and post-quantum cryptography (PQC) offer complementary security guarantees, information-theoretic key exchange and quantum-resistant end-to-end authentication that can be combined in a layered architecture. Here, we demonstrate a field-deployed quantum-secure network integrating entanglement-based QKD with end-to-end PQC over 140 km of installed fiber in Thuringia, Germany, connecting a rural health kiosk to a university hospital via a trusted-node architecture comprising heterogeneous underground and aerial fiber links. Unlike conventional deployments that rely on a dedicated key management system to forward keys to applications, our architecture injects QKD keys directly into standard Linux-based VPN tunnels between adjacent nodes, while PQC secures the communication end-to-end, remaining fully compatible with existing infrastructure and software. Polarization-entangled photon pairs were generated at 810 nm and 1550 nm, with the telecom photon transmitted over deployed fiber. Active polarization stabilization and dispersion compensation preserve the entanglement and enable 22 days of continuous, fully autonomous operation, further underscoring the technological maturity of entanglement-based QKD approaches in a real-world fiber environment. Although the two deployed links were operated during separate rather than concurrent periods, the predominantly aerial link exhibited markedly greater instability, with QBER variations most strongly correlated with wind speed. The generated keys secured a telemedicine proof-of-concept without modifying existing medical systems, demonstrating a practical framework for quantum-safe critical infrastructures.
ER -