US 12,250,298 B2
To QKD network architectures
Andrew Lord, London (GB)
Assigned to British Telecommunications Public Limited Company, (GB)
Appl. No. 17/593,683
Filed by BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY, London (GB)
PCT Filed Mar. 11, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/056548
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 22, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/193146, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 1, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 19164656 (EP), filed on Mar. 22, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0166611 A1, May 26, 2022
Int. Cl. H04L 9/08 (2006.01); H04B 10/25 (2013.01); H04B 10/70 (2013.01)
CPC H04L 9/0852 (2013.01) [H04B 10/25 (2013.01); H04B 10/70 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for transmitting optical pulses for quantum key distribution, the system comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit a plurality of optical pulses;
a first receiver and a second receiver configured to receive some or all of the plurality of optical pulses;
a guide for guiding the plurality of optical pulses, the guide having a first output port and a second output port, the first output port being in optical communication with the first receiver and the second output port being in optical communication with the second receiver, the guide being configured to output a first proportion of the plurality of optical pulses at the first output port and a second proportion of the optical pulses at the second output port; and
control logic separate from the transmitter and in electrical connection with the guide and the first and second receivers, the control logic being capable of modifying the guide so as to change the first proportion of the optical pulses output at the first output port based on a current pulse receipt rate and a required pulse receipt rate received from each of the first receiver and the second receiver.