Simultaneous transmission of mode-pairing quantum key distribution and classical signals over optical fibers

Abstract In the contemporary era of information technology, cybersecurity has emerged as a pivotal subject. Quantum key distribution (QKD) networks have been implemented in various regions worldwide, demonstrating their superior secure communication capabilities in practice. The integration of QKD with traditional fiber optic networks will facilitate the deployment of upcoming quantum technologies. The recently proposed mode-pairing quantum key distribution (MP-QKD) protocol can drastically improve the transmission distance of QKD, thereby obviating the necessity for complex optical field setups. This paper focuses on the co-transmission of MP-QKD with classical signals in three types of optical fibers (single-mode fiber, few-mode fiber, and multi-core fiber). The Raman noise power in the co-transmission system is calculated, and the performance of MP-QKD is analyzed. The analytical results demonstrate the superiority of MP-QKD compared to other MDI-types in co-fiber transmission scenarios.