Acronyme

Année

Laboratoire

Collaboration(s)

Budget

Durée

CrypSil

2014

IEF

LCF, LTCI

40,5 k€

2 ans

Titre

Integrated Quantum Cryptography circuit on silicon

Porteur

Delphine Marris-Morini

Date de démarrage

Septembre 2014

Présentation du projet

Exchanging messages with a guaranteed confidentiality is a major issue in our communication-based society. During recent years, the novel techniques of Quantum Information Processing and Communications have allowed the distribution of secret keys with information-theoretic security, warranted by the laws of quantum mechanics. Among the different strategies to develop QKD, Continuous Variable Quantum Key Distribution (CVQKD), developed and patented by some of the authors of this project presents the important advantage that it only requires standard telecommunication components, and, in particular, does not use single photon counters. This technological advantage of CVQKD opens up an exciting and novel perspective, which is to integrate on chip a full CVQKD circuit. In the present project, we propose to take advantage of the simplicity of CVQKD hardware, and of the significant developments in silicon photonics to develop fully on-chip devices.

The main goal of the project is to demonstrate the concept to implement the first fully on-chip quantum cryptography device on silicon, using the technique of continuous variable quantum key distribution. This will include the design, fabrication and characterization of optical integrated circuits suitable for CVQKD, using Silicon Photonic CMOS processes.