2015/09/10 by Ryan Engle, Engle, Ryan D. L., Douglas D. Hodson +9
Computer Science · Engineering · #Cryptography and Security (cs.CR) #Emerging Technologies (cs.ET) #FOS: Computer and information sciences #FOS: Physical sciences #Optical Network Technologies #Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1509.03091
openalex publication_date 2015/09/10 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is an innovative technology which exploits the laws of quantum mechanics to generate and distribute unconditionally secure cryptographic keys. While QKD offers the promise of unconditionally secure key distribution, real world systems are built from non-ideal components which necessitates the need to model and understand the impact these non-idealities have on system performance and security. OMNeT++ has been used as a basis to develop a simulation framework to support this endeavor. This framework, referred to as "qkdX" extends OMNeT++'s module and message abstractions to efficiently model optical components, optical pulses, operating protocols and processes. This paper presents the design of this framework including how OMNeT++'s abstractions have been utilized to model quantum optical components, optical pulses, fiber and free space channels. Furthermore, from our toolbox of created components, we present various notional and real QKD systems, which have been studied and analyzed.