Dynamic secret-key provisioning in quantum-secured passive optical networks (PONs)

Abstract

Quantum cryptography (QC) is currently under investigation to build highly secure optical communication networks. QC requires distribution of quantum keys (also called “secret” keys) on separate wavelength channels than those used to transmit the encrypted data. Hence, we propose a quantum-secured passive optical network (QS-PON) that supports both i) the traditional wavelength channels for secured data transmission, and ii) a quantum key distribution network (QKDN) running on separate dedicated wavelengths. The QKDN generates and stores secret keys that are then assigned to users’ demands served on traditional PON channels. To generate secret keys, quantum transmitters at the optical network units (ONUs) exchange qubits with a quantum receiver at the optical line terminal (OLT). Then, the generated secret keys are stored in quantum key pools (QKPs) installed at both OLT and the ONUs and assigned to users’ demands. Point-to-multipoint QKD systems have been experimentally demonstrated over various forms of quantum access networks (QANs), showing that an efficient mechanism to generate and assign quantum keys based on traffic requests is a critical component of QANs. In this study, we present a new QS-PON architecture, and we propose a dynamic secret-key provisioning (DSKP) algorithm that effectively generates and assigns secret keys from users’ demands. Our proposed DSKP algorithm features two phases, the lowest-first secret-key generation (LF-SKG) phase and the hierarchical-clustering secret-key consumption (HC-SKC) phase. In this study, we also provide an analytical model that describes how secret keys are generated and consumed in QKPs. In our illustrative numerical evaluation, we compare our algorithm for secret-key provisioning with a baseline IPACT-based solution in terms of service-rejection ratio, time-slot utilization, and guard- and relay-time saving. Results show that DSKP reduces service-rejection ratio and guard- and relay-time of about 16% and 39.54%, respectively.

The Evolution of Quantum Key Distribution Networks: On the Road to the Qinternet

“…A comparative study of heuristics and reinforcement learning based techniques designed for online multi-tenant secret-key assignment over a QKD network has been conducted in [389]. A suite of secret-key assignment schemes has also been conceived for securing virtual optical networks [208], [390], [391], multicast services [392], and passive optical networks (PONs) [393].…”

DDKA-QKDN: Dynamic On-Demand Key Allocation Scheme for Quantum Internet of Things Secured by QKD Network

“…The comparison schemes adopted in this section are the key allocation schemes proposed in [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. In [ 12 ], the author proposed the RAKP scheme, which dynamically adjusts the key generation rate according to the key utilization of QKP.…”

“…Ref. [ 14 ] proposed a DSKP scheme, which selects the QKP with the lowest number of remaining keys to supplement first when the number of keys in QKP is less than a certain threshold.…”

“…A dynamic key configuration (DSKP) scheme was proposed to assign keys stored in the QKP of OLT and optical network unit (ONU) to users by Wang et al [ 14 ]. DSKP scheme effectively generates and assigns keys from users’ demands.…”

Using QKD in MACsec for secure Ethernet networks

“…In [12], an upstream quantum access network is proposed to allow multiple end-users to share the most expensive component, that is, the single photon detector of a network node. In [10,13], an effective secret-key allocation on users' demands is studied in a practical metro network and a quantum-secured passive optical network. The integration of QKD systems into commercial telecommunication networks has been demonstrated in [14,15], thereby removing the constraint of a dedicated QKD link using a dark fibre.…”