Quantum Key Distribution: The Journey from Concept to Application

CQT Colloquium Speaker: Yury Kurochkin Abstract: The concept of quantum key distribution was proposed 40 years ago. Since then, it has come a long way from a beautiful idea to scalable applications. In the meantime, there are still many challenges that unite basic research and engineering in both quantum optics and information theory. In my talk, I will describe the barriers of quantum cryptography. I will address not only the well-known academic obstacles, but also the unexpected but significant questions that have arisen from an industry perspective. These challenges range from the preparation of hack-proof quantum states in practice to the scalability of quantum networks and integration into existing communication infrastructures. I will also talk about my recent research on passive state preparation in QKD, which aims to overcome the application limitations of quantum networks by simplifying the system.