| CPC H04L 9/0858 (2013.01) [H04L 9/0819 (2013.01); H04L 9/0869 (2013.01)] | 4 Claims |

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1. A quantum key delivery system comprising:
a first communication device and a second communication device communicatively connected by a first channel and a second channel that is more reliable than the first channel,
the first communication device comprising:
a dual-polarization quadrature phase-shift keying (DP-QPSK) modulator that phase modulates a first polarization component of two orthogonal polarization components in transmitted light and modulates a second polarization component, which is the other polarization component, into a signal indicating a second random number sequence based on a first random number sequence indicating the bit sequence to be transmitted and the second random number sequence indicating the base in the phase modulation of the bit sequence to be transmitted;
an optical intensity attenuator that attenuates an optical intensity of the modulated first polarization component; and
a polarizing beam splitter that polarization multiplexes the first polarization component with the attenuated optical intensity and the modulated second polarization component and outputs the resulting signal light to the first channel,
and the second communication device comprising:
a polarizing beam splitter that separates orthogonal polarization modes in the transmitted signal light to perform reading of the second random number sequence encoded in a component orthogonal to the weak light and extraction of the clock timing for the reception of the weak light;
a local light source for coherent detection;
a 90° hybrid that interferes with the weak light component among the polarization-separated components and the local light to read the orthogonal phase component;
a photodetector that converts the read orthogonal phase component into an electrical signal;
at least one memory configured to store instructions; and
at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to:
generate a quantum raw key by reading the first random number sequence from the electrical signal based on the clock timing extracted by the polarizing beam splitter;
generate a selection key by performing a base reconciliation process using communication on the second channel between the first and second communication devices based on the generated quantum raw key and the second random number sequence;
perform error correction on the generated selection key, using communication on the second channel between the first and second communication devices; and
generate a quantum key by enhancing the confidentiality of the selection key after error correction using communication in the second channel between the first and second communication devices.
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