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GROUP SPECIFICATION
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD);
Device and Communication Channel Parameters
for QKD Deployment
Disclaimer
The present document has been produced and approved by the Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) ETSI Industry Specification
Group (ISG) and represents the views of those members who participated in this ISG.
It does not necessarily represent the views of the entire ETSI membership.
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2 ETSI GS QKD 012 V1.1.1 (2019-02)
Reference
DGS/QKD-0012_DeployParam
Keywords
quantum cryptography, Quantum Key Distribution
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Contents
Intellectual Property Rights . 4
Foreword . 4
Modal verbs terminology . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 References . 5
2.1 Normative references . 5
2.2 Informative references . 5
3 Definition of terms, symbols and abbreviations . 6
3.1 Terms . 6
3.2 Symbols . 8
3.3 Abbreviations . 8
4 QKD Communication channels and architecture . 8
4.1 QKD processes . 8
4.2 QKD Communication channels . 9
4.3 QKD Quantum channel . 9
4.4 QKD Synchronization channel . 10
4.5 QKD Distillation channel . 10
5 QKD architectures . 10
5.1 Definition of QKD architecture . 10
5.2 Dedicated quantum channel QKD deployment . 10
5.2.1 Definition . 10
5.2.2 Dedicated-link . 11
5.2.3 Dedicated-to-quantum . 11
5.3 Multiplexed QKD deployment architecture . 12
5.3.1 Definition . 12
5.3.2 QKD-only multiplexed architecture . 12
5.3.3 Fully multiplexed architecture . 13
6 Planning a QKD Deployment: Entities and Contexts . 14
6.1 Entities and roles in deployment planning . 14
6.2 Contexts . 15
7 Information exchange templates . 15
7.1 Introduction . 15
7.2 Network parameters list and classification . 16
7.3 QKD parameters list . 17
Annex A (informative): Authors & contributors . 18
History . 19
ETSI
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Intellectual Property Rights
Essential patents
IPRs essential or potentially essential to normative deliverables may have been declared to ETSI. The information
pertaining to these essential IPRs, if any, is publicly available for ETSI members and non-members, and can be found
in ETSI SR 000 314: "Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs); Essential, or potentially Essential, IPRs notified to ETSI in
respect of ETSI standards", which is available from the ETSI Secretariat. Latest updates are available on the ETSI Web
server (https://ipr.etsi.org/).
Pursuant to the ETSI IPR Policy, no investigation, including IPR searches, has been carried out by ETSI. No guarantee
can be given as to the existence of other IPRs not referenced in ETSI SR 000 314 (or the updates on the ETSI Web
server) which are, or may be, or may become, essential to the present document.
Trademarks
The present document may include trademarks and/or tradenames which are asserted and/or registered by their owners.
ETSI claims no ownership of these except for any which are indicated as being the property of ETSI, and conveys no
right to use or reproduce any trademark and/or tradename. Mention of those trademarks in the present document does
not constitute an endorsement by ETSI of products, services or organizations associated with those trademarks.
Foreword
This Group Specification (GS) has been produced by ETSI Industry Specification Group (ISG) Group Quantum Key
Distribution (QKD).
Modal verbs terminology
In the present document "shall", "shall not", "should", "should not", "may", "need not", "will", "will not", "can" and
"cannot" are to be interpreted as described in clause 3.2 of the ETSI Drafting Rules (Verbal forms for the expression of
provisions).
"must" and "must not" are NOT allowed in ETSI deliverables except when used in direct citation.
ETSI
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1 Scope
The present document describes the main communication resources involved in a QKD system and the possible
architectures that can be adopted when performing a QKD deployment over an optical network infrastructure.
The scope of the present document is restricted to QKD deployments over fibre optical networks. Architectural options
are also restricted to point-to-point communication.
The different entities that can take part in a QKD deployment and the possible contexts of deployment capturing the
roles played by the different entities are defined. One specific context (context1) is then addressed where one entity
(QKD_O), operating QKD Modules, plans a QKD deployment over an optical network infrastructure, operated by
another entity (NET_O).
The information regarding the QKD system parameters and the network parameters to be exchanged (in context1) are
listed and prioritized. The corresponding tables, placed at the end of the present document, can be used as a standard
template for the exchange of information between QKD_O entities and NET_O entities involved in the QKD
deployment.
2 References
2.1 Normative references
References are either specific (identified by date of publication and/or edition number or version number) or
non-specific. For specific references, only the cited version applies. For non-specific references, the latest version of the
referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
Referenced documents which are not found to be publicly available in the expected location might be found at
https://docbox.etsi.org/Reference/.
NOTE: While any hyperlinks included in this clause were valid at the time of publication, ETSI cannot guarantee
their long term validity.
The following referenced documents are necessary for the application of the present document.
Not applicable.
2.2 Informative references
References are either specific (identified by date of publication and/or edition number or version number) or
non-specific. For specific references, only the cited version applies. For non-specific references, the latest version of the
referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
NOTE: While any hyperlinks included in this clause were valid at the time of publication, ETSI cannot guarantee
their long term validity.
The following referenced documents are not necessary for the application of the present document but they assist the
user with regard to a particular subject area.
Not applicable.
ETSI
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3 Definition of terms, symbols and abbreviations
3.1 Terms
For the purposes of the present document, the following terms apply:
channel: "logical channel", i.e. a communication link, between a sender and a receiver, over which some logical
information is exchanged
NOTE: Throughout the present document, the term "channel" refers by default to a "logical channel", i.e. a
communication link, between a sender and a receiver, over which some logical information is exchanged.
Depending on the context, the channel implementation, i.e. the physical nature of the channel, related to
the physical encoding of the information, will also often be considered. In that case the name "channel"
will refer to both the logical nature of the channel, and to the physical nature of its implementation.
classical optical channel: optical implementation of a communication channel for transmitting classical information
NOTE: Classical optical signals typically consist of optical pulses containing a large number of photons, over
which some information is encoded (in time, phase, intensity, polarization, etc.). Classical optical signals
are perfectly distinguishable and communication over a classical optical channel is therefore vulnerable to
zero-error attacks where an eavesdropper non-destructively reads the signals, without introducing errors
and yet fully copies the logical data.
context: "context of deployment", i.e. a scenario specifying some aspects of the roles played by the different entities,
and their interplay
disturbance on the quantum channel: disturbance on the quantum channel related to the noise on the QKD quantum
channel
NOTE: Disturbance is measured by evaluating the correlation level between the classical strings (raw data)
shared by A and B after the quantum communication phase.
matching QKD module: QKD Module that when connected by appropriate communication channels can cooperate to
run a QKD protocol with the QKD Module it is matched with
NOTE: Typically a type A QKD Module could be a matching QKD Module for a type B QKD Module and vice
versa where compatibility requirements are met.
network operator: entity in charge of operating technically the optical network infrastructure and in particular
providing communication interfaces to QKD at points A and B
EXAMPLE: In the context of a deployment, this role is typically assumed by a service provider.
QKD distillation channel: channel used to exchange digital classical information, typically between QKD Modules of
type A and B, in order to agree on a shared secret key starting from the raw data the QKD Modules initially obtain in an
earlier stage of a quantum key distribution protocol
NOTE 1: The communication over the distillation channel is typically used to perform two stages of a QKD
protocol:
Sifting: A and B communicate classical information to select a subset of the raw data, leading to the
sifted key.
Classical post-processing: A and B agree on a secret key from their respective raw data via public
discussion over the distillation channel.
NOTE 2: The QKD distillation channel can be implemented over different types of transmission media (optical,
copper wire, etc.).
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NOTE 3: The name "Distillation" normally refers to the notion of classical post-processing excluding sifting that
can be performed prior to distillation. Nevertheless the name "distillation" is used as the name for this
channel that can also include communications associated with sifting, since this name is non-ambiguous
and expresses clearly the nature of the information exchanged on the channel. (Similarly the name
"Synchronization channel" is used to refer to a channel that can convey information wider than time
synchronization.)
NOTE 4: The QKD Distillation channel can also be called the "Distillation channel".
NOTE 5: One of the security requirements of QKD protocols is that the Distillation channel is authenticated.
Discussing security and cryptographic requirements of QKD is outside of the scope of the present
document. Deployment and initialization of matched QKD modules should be done in accordance with an
approved security policy.
QKD module: set of hardware and software components that implements QKD cryptographic functions and quantum
optical processes, including cryptographic algorithms and protocols and key generation, and is contained within a
defined cryptographic boundary
NOTE: A QKD Module constitutes one endpoint in a QKD link. It can be of type A (sender) or B (receiver). A
QKD Module typically has three communication channel interfaces:
QKD quantum channel,
QKD synchronization channel,
QKD distillation channel.
QKD operator: entity in charge of operating technically the QKD Modules
EXAMPLE: In the context of a deployment, the "QKD Operator" role would typically be the responsibility of
the owner of the QKD Module. It might also be the responsibility of a tier (possibly the QKD
manufacturer) in charge of QKD Module operation and maintenance.
QKD quantum channel: quantum optical channel, typically between QKD Modules of type A and B, used to perform
quantum key distribution
NOTE 1: It is implemented by sending quantum optical signals (typically weak coherent states of light), on which
information is encoded (different encodings can be used: phase, polarization, time-bin, spatial mode, etc.).
NOTE 2: In the context of the present document, it is assumed that the quantum channel is implemented over an
optical fibre.
NOTE 3: The QKD Quantum channel can also called "Quantum channel".
QKD synchronization channel: channel that carries reference signals for the purpose of reference frame sharing
(synchronisation, phase reference, polarization reference etc.), typically between QKD Modules of type A and B, in
order to perform quantum key distribution
NOTE 1: It is typically implemented by encoding analogic information encoded over classical optical signals, sent
over an optical fibre.
NOTE 2: The name "Synchronization" normally refers exclusively to the notion of time reference sharing and no
other types of reference information. Nevertheless the name "Synchronization" is used as the name for
this channel that can also include other types of reference information, since this name is non-ambiguous
and expresses clearly the nature of the information exchanged on the channel. (Similarly the name
"Distillation channel" is used to refer to a channel that can convey information wider than distillation.)
NOTE 3: The QKD Synchronization channel can also be called the "Synchronization channel".
QKD system: system composed of a pair of matching QKD Modules (of type A and B)
NOTE: When properly connected to the appropriate communication channels a QKD system can perform
quantum key distribution: establishment between A and B of a symmetric secure key.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD): procedure or method for generating and distributing symmetrical cryptographic
keys with information theoretical security based on quantum information theory
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quantum optical channel: optical implementation of a communication channel for transmitting quantum signals
NOTE: It is implemented by encoding quantum information, i.e. non-orthogonal quantum states, on dim optical
pulses containing a low mean photon number. The optical link on which the quantum channel is
implemented is in general required to be transparent, i.e. it cannot contain any amplifier elements.
raw data: raw correlated classical data at A and B that was shared using a quantum channel and after any sifting has
been implemented
NOTE 1: In many implementations quantum signals are prepared at A, sent on the quantum channel and then
received and detected (with finite probability and fidelity) at B.
NOTE 2: The name "raw data" refers to more than one classical string, e.g. one at A and one at B. These raw
strings are typically correlated but not identical.
3.2 Symbols
Void.
3.3 Abbreviations
For the purposes of the present document, the following abbreviations apply:
A Alice, designating either a QKD Module, or the operator of said device, or the location of said
device
AES Advanced Encryption Standard
B Bob, designating either a QKD Module, or the operator of said device, or the location of said
device
CV Continuous Variable
DistilB Distillation channel interface of B
NET Network
NET_O Network Operator
PMD Polarization Mode Dispersion
QKD Quantum Key Distribution
QKD_O Quantum Key Distribution Operator
QKDA Quantum Key Distribution device of type A
QKD Quantum Key Distribution device of type B
B
WDM Wavelength Division Multiplexing
4 QKD Communication channels and architecture
4.1 QKD processes
A QKD system consists of two QKD Modules (QKDA and QKDB, in short A and B) connect
...