Highly integrated quantum key distribution transmitter enabled by silicon photonics
The work demonstrates a highly integrated standalone QKD transmitter built around a silicon photonic encoding chip combined with embedded electronics. This compact platform integrates all necessary functionalities—from quantum signal preparation to real-time protocol processing and authentication—into a small board-level device. This bridges the gap between photonic chip integration and deployable hardware, enabling QKD transmitters to move from large rack systems to compact, board-level platforms.