Evaluating the performance of a weak-field homodyne receiver in quadrature phase-shift keying optical communication
Abstract
Abstract Quantum communication protocols require efficient detection schemes to maximize the information transfer rate between the sender and the receiver. To this aim, we have demonstrated that weak-field receivers, merging wave-like and particle-like features, can be considered as a valid alternative to already existing receivers, such as optical homodyne detection. To better emphasize the potential of our receiver, in this work we consider a proof of concept for quaternary communication based on coherent states with the same amplitude and different phase values. We show that the encoding in phase requires a fine control of phase noise, which is obtained through a feedback system. The results achieved in terms of mutual information and secret key generation rate encourage further increase of the alphabet towards an approximately continuous phase modulation.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Quantum Information and Cryptography
Quantum optics and atomic interactions
Mechanical and Optical Resonators
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Quantum Science and Technology
- Publisher
- IOP Publishing
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 035016–035016
- Publication date
- 5 June 2026
- Language
- EN