Quantum physics has the potential to significantly outperform classical techniques in areas such as computing, sensing, and communications. Here we show a quantum communication protocol called floodlight quantum key distribution that can outperform standard techniques by breaking conventional rules of operation, including sending many photons per bit duration and use of an amplifier to mitigate channel loss. In a tabletop experiment, we have achieved Gbps secret-key rates in a 10-dB-loss transmission channel, showing 3 orders of magnitude improvement over other quantum protocols.
Franco N. C. Wong received the B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and B.A. in Physics from the University of Rochester in 1977, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University in 1979 and 1983, respectively. From 1984 to 1986, he did his postdoctoral research with Dr. John L. Hall at JILA on precision measurement techniques. He joined MIT in 1986 as a Research Scientist at the Research Laboratory of Electronics and was promoted to Senior Research Scientist in 2003. His research interests center on quantum and nonlinear optics, currently focusing on the generation and application of entangled light for quantum communication and quantum information processing. Dr. Wong holds several U.S. patents in areas of nonlinear optical devices. Dr. Wong is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America.
