Method And Apparatus For Generating Optical Pulses For Qkd

摘要

Methods and apparatus for generating coherent optical pulses (P 1' , P 2' ) in a quantum key distribution (QKD) station (Alice-N) of a QKD system ( 10 ) without using an optical fiber interferometer ( 12 ) are disclosed. The method includes generating a continuous wave (CW) beam of coherent radiation (R) having a coherence length LC and modulating the CW beam within the coherence length. The invention obviates the need for an interferometer loop to form multiple optical pulses from a single optical pulse, thereby obviating the need for thermal stabilization of the interferometer loop at the QKD station Alice-N.