Title: Great circle solution to polarization-based quantum communication (QC) in optical fiber

Abstract

Birefringence in optical fibers is compensated by applying polarization modulation at a receiver. Polarization modulation is applied so that a transmitted optical signal has states of polarization (SOPs) that are equally spaced on the Poincare sphere. Fiber birefringence encountered in propagation between a transmitter and a receiver rotates the great circle on the Poincare sphere that represents the polarization bases used for modulation. By adjusting received polarizations, polarization components of the received optical signal can be directed to corresponding detectors for decoding, regardless of the magnitude and orientation of the fiber birefringence. A transmitter can be configured to transmit in conjugate polarization bases whose SOPs can be represented as equidistant points on a great circle so that the received SOPs are mapped to equidistant points on a great circle and routed to corresponding detectors.

Inventors:

Nordholt, Jane Elizabeth; Peterson, Charles Glen; Newell, Raymond Thorson; Hughes, Richard John

Issue Date:

2016-03-15

Research Org.:

Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1241523

Patent Number(s):

9,287,994

Application Number:

13/600,898

Assignee:

LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC (Los Alamos, NM)

DOE Contract Number:  

AC52-06NA25396

Resource Type:

Patent

Resource Relation:

Patent File Date: 2012 Aug 31

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING; 71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS