A laser source driver in 0.18 μm SiGe BiCMOS technology for high speed quantum key distribution
Source abstract
Abstract
Quantum key distribution (QKD) has rapidly developed recently. The repetition frequency of the QKD system increases from tens or hundreds of MHz to GHz. A laser diode (LD) operating in gain-switched mode is widely used as a weak coherent light source in a QKD system. We present an LD driver circuit fabricated in 0.18 μm SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor technology. The circuit can operate at frequencies up to 2.5 GHz, satisfying the requirements of high-speed laser drives in practical QKD systems. The output current of the driver circuit can reach 100 mA when driving an LD whose input equivalent resistance is ∼21 Ω. The extinction ratio of the 1550-nm distributed feedback LD light source driven by our driver circuit reaches 23 dB at the operating frequency of 2.5 GHz, meeting the requirements of QKD systems. This circuit will be used in miniaturized QKD systems.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Quantum Information and Cryptography · Semiconductor Quantum Structures and Devices · Photonic and Optical Devices
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
State Key Laboratory of Particle Detection and Electronics, University of Science and Technology of China 1 , Hefei 230026, China
Department of Modern Physics, University of Science and Technology of China 6 , Hefei 230026, China
Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and School of Physical Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China 2 , Hefei 230026, China
3CAS Center for Excellence in Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
School of Cyberspace Security, University of Science and Technology of China 4 , Hefei 230026, China
PLA Rocket Force University of Engineering 5 , Xi’an 710025, China
Funding
National Natural Science Foundation of China · Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project · Anhui Initiative in Quantum Information Technologies
References (31)
Show source-provided references
1. Quantum cryptography: Public key distribution and coin tossing
2. Experimental quantum cryptography10.1007/bf00191318 ↗
3. Satellite-to-ground quantum key distribution10.1038/nature23655 ↗
4. An integrated space-to-ground quantum communication network over 4,600 kilometres10.1038/s41586-020-03093-8 ↗
5. Decoy state quantum key distribution10.1103/physrevlett.94.230504 ↗
6. Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution10.1103/physrevlett.108.130503 ↗
7. Overcoming the rate–distance limit of quantum key distribution without quantum repeaters10.1038/s41586-018-0066-6 ↗
8. The security of practical quantum key distribution10.1103/revmodphys.81.1301 ↗
9. An approach for security evaluation and certification of a complete quantum communication system10.1038/s41598-021-84139-3 ↗
10. Direct and full-scale experimental verifications towards ground–satellite quantum key distribution10.1038/nphoton.2013.89 ↗
11. Long-distance free-space measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution10.1103/physrevlett.125.260503 ↗
12. Experimental quantum key distribution with integrated silicon photonics and electronics10.1103/physrevapplied.17.064034 ↗
13. Experimental long-distance decoy-state quantum key distribution based on polarization encoding10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.010505 ↗
14. 2013
15. A comprehensive design and performance analysis of low Earth orbit satellite quantum communication10.1088/1367-2630/15/2/023006 ↗
16. A laser source driver with adjustable amplitude and pulse-width in 130-nm CMOS technology for quantum key distribution experiments10.1063/1.5100318 ↗
17. Integrated electronics in 130 nm CMOS process for quantum key distribution sender device10.1063/1.5123238 ↗
18. A 15 Gbps-NRZ, 30 Gbps-PAM4, 120 mA laser diode driver implemented in 0.15-μm GaAs E-mode pHEMT technology10.1088/1674-4926/42/7/072401 ↗
19. A breakdown voltage multiplier for high voltage swing drivers10.1109/JSSC.2006.889390 ↗
20. 2013
21. Extraction of DFB laser rate equation parameters for system simulation purposes10.1109/50.580827 ↗
22. Source attack of decoy-state quantum key distribution using phase information10.1103/physreva.88.022308 ↗
23. Evaluation of the phase randomness of a light source in quantum key distribution systems with an attenuated laser10.1103/physreva.90.032320 ↗
24. SiGe driver circuit with high output amplitude operating up to 23 Gb/s10.1109/4.766824 ↗
25. Large-signal reliability analysis of SiGe HBT cascode driver amplifiers10.1109/ted.2015.2407870 ↗
26. A versatile Si-bipolar driver circuit with high output voltage swing for external and direct laser modulation in 10 Gb/s optical-fiber links10.1109/4.309897 ↗
27. Design considerations for very-high-speed Si-bipolar IC’s operating up to 50 Gb/s10.1109/4.508255 ↗
28. A novel transistor model for simulating avalanche-breakdown effects in Si bipolar circuits10.1109/JSSC.2002.801197 ↗
29. Design considerations for a 11.3 Gbit/s SiGe bipolar driver array with a 5 × 6 Vpp chip-to-chip bondwire output to an MZM PIC10.1109/jssc.2016.2569075 ↗
30. Linear low-power 13 GHz SiGe-bipolar modulator driver with 7 Vpp differential output voltage swing and on-chip bias tee
31. Pulse extinction ratio improvement using SPM in an SOA for OTDM systems applications10.1109/68.980536 ↗