Multi-mode free-space delay interferometer with no refractive compensation elements for phase encoded QKD protocols

Abstract: We demonstrate compensation-free approach to the realization of multi-mode delay interferometers, mainly for use in phase encoded quantum key distribution (QKD). High interference visibility of spatially multimode beams in unbalanced Michelson or Mach-Zehnder interferometers with a relatively wide range of delays is achieved by the appropriate choice of the transverse size of the beam. We provide a simple theoretical model that gives a direct connection between the visibility of interference, the delay, and the beam parameters. The performed experimental study confirms our theoretical findings and demonstrates the measured visibility of up to 0.95 for the delay of 2 ns. Our approach's simplicity and robust performance make it a practical choice for the implementation of QKD systems, where a quantum signal is received over a multimode fiber. The important application of such configuration is an intermodal QKD system, where the free-space atmospheric communication channel is coupled into a span of the multimode fiber, delivering the spatially distorted beam to the remote receiver with minimal coupling loss.