Practical quantum secure direct communication with squeezed states

Abstract: Quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) is a rapidly developing quantum communication approach, where secure information is directly transmitted, providing an alternative to key-based (de)encryption processes via Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). During the last decade, optical QSDC protocols based on discrete variable encodings have been successfully realized. Recently, continuous-variable (CV) QSDC schemes have been proposed, benefiting from less-sophisticated implementations with proven security. Here, we report the first table-top experimental demonstration of a CV-QSDC system and assess its security. For this realization, we analyze the security of different configurations, including coherent and squeezed sources, with Wyner wiretap channel theory in presence of a beam splitter attack. This practical protocol not only demonstrates the principle of QSDC systems based on CV encoding, but also showcases the advantage of squeezed states over coherent ones in attaining enhanced security and reliable communication in lossy and noisy channels. Our realization, which is founded on mature telecom components, paves the way into future threat-less quantum metropolitan networks, compatible with coexisting advanced wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems.