Approaching Single-Photon Pulses.

Single-photon pulses cannot be generated on demand, due to incompatible requirements of positive frequencies and positive times. Resulting states therefore contain small probabilities for multiphotons. We derive upper and lower bounds for the maximum fidelity of realizable states that approximate single-photon pulses. The bounds have implications for ultrafast optics; the maximum fidelity is low for pulses with few cycles or close to the onset, but increases rapidly as the pulse envelope varies more slowly. We also demonstrate strictly localized states that are close to single photons.

Laser damage helps the eavesdropper in quantum cryptography.

We propose a class of attacks on quantum key distribution (QKD) systems where an eavesdropper actively engineers new loopholes by using damaging laser illumination to permanently change properties of system components. This can turn a perfect QKD system into a completely insecure system. A proof-of-principle experiment performed on an avalanche photodiode-based detector shows that laser damage can be used to create loopholes. After ∼1 W illumination, the detectors' dark count rate reduces 2-5 times, permanently improving single-photon counting performance. After ∼1.5 W, the detectors switch permanently into the linear photodetection mode and become completely insecure for QKD applications.

A universal setup for active control of a single-photon detector.

The influence of bright light on a single-photon detector has been described in a number of recent publications. The impact on quantum key distribution (QKD) is important, and several hacking experiments have been tailored to fully control single-photon detectors. Special attention has been given to avoid introducing further errors into a QKD system. We describe the design and technical details of an apparatus which allows to attack a quantum-cryptographic connection. This device is capable of controlling free-space and fiber-based systems and of minimizing unwanted clicks in the system. With different control diagrams, we are able to achieve a different level of control. The control was initially targeted to the systems using BB84 protocol, with polarization encoding and basis switching using beamsplitters, but could be extended to other types of systems. We further outline how to characterize the quality of active control of single-photon detectors.

Experimentally faking the violation of Bell's inequalities.

Entanglement witnesses such as Bell inequalities are frequently used to prove the nonclassicality of a light source and its suitability for further tasks. By demonstrating Bell inequality violations using classical light in common experimental arrangements, we highlight why strict locality and efficiency conditions are not optional, particularly in security-related scenarios.

Total internal reflection and evanescent gain.

Total internal reflection occurs for large angles of incidence, when light is incident from a high-refractive-index medium onto a low-index medium. We consider the situation where the low-index medium is active. By invoking causality in its most fundamental form, we argue that evanescent gain may or may not appear, depending on the analytic and global properties of the permittivity function. For conventional, weak gain media, we show that there is an absolute instability associated with infinite transverse dimensions. This instability can be ignored or eliminated in certain cases, for which evanescent gain prevails.

Controlling an actively-quenched single photon detector with bright light.

We control using bright light an actively-quenched avalanche single-photon detector. Actively-quenched detectors are commonly used for quantum key distribution (QKD) in the visible and near-infrared range. This study shows that these detectors are controllable by the same attack used to hack passively-quenched and gated detectors. This demonstrates the generality of our attack and its possible applicability to eavsdropping the full secret key of all QKD systems using avalanche photodiodes (APDs). Moreover, the commercial detector model we tested (PerkinElmer SPCM-AQR) exhibits two new blinding mechanisms in addition to the previously observed thermal blinding of the APD, namely: malfunctioning of the bias voltage control circuit, and overload of the DC/DC converter biasing the APD. These two new technical loopholes found just in one detector model suggest that this problem must be solved in general, by incorporating generally imperfect detectors into the security proof for QKD.

Full-field implementation of a perfect eavesdropper on a quantum cryptography system.

Quantum key distribution (QKD) allows two remote parties to grow a shared secret key. Its security is founded on the principles of quantum mechanics, but in reality it significantly relies on the physical implementation. Technological imperfections of QKD systems have been previously explored, but no attack on an established QKD connection has been realized so far. Here we show the first full-field implementation of a complete attack on a running QKD connection. An installed eavesdropper obtains the entire 'secret' key, while none of the parameters monitored by the legitimate parties indicate a security breach. This confirms that non-idealities in physical implementations of QKD can be fully practically exploitable, and must be given increased scrutiny if quantum cryptography is to become highly secure.

Thermal blinding of gated detectors in quantum cryptography.

It has previously been shown that the gated detectors of two commercially available quantum key distribution (QKD) systems are blindable and controllable by an eavesdropper using continuous-wave illumination and short bright trigger pulses, manipulating voltages in the circuit [Nat. Photonics 4, 686 (2010)]. This allows for an attack eavesdropping the full raw and secret key without increasing the quantum bit error rate (QBER). Here we show how thermal effects in detectors under bright illumination can lead to the same outcome. We demonstrate that the detectors in a commercial QKD system Clavis2 can be blinded by heating the avalanche photo diodes (APDs) using bright illumination, so-called thermal blinding. Further, the detectors can be triggered using short bright pulses once they are blind. For systems with pauses between packet transmission such as the plug-and-play systems, thermal inertia enables Eve to apply the bright blinding illumination before eavesdropping, making her more difficult to catch.

Slow and fast light in optical fibers using acoustooptic coupling between two co-propagating modes.

We demonstrate numerically that acoustooptic interaction between two co-propagating modes in an optical fiber can be utilized to obtain optical delays. Both positive and negative delays of several pulse lengths can be obtained. Based on the simulations we consider relevant experimental parameters.

Causality and electromagnetic properties of active media.

Several results concerning active media or metamaterials are proved and discussed. In particular, we consider the permittivity, permeability, wave vector, and refractive index, and discuss stability, refraction, gain, and fundamental limitations resulting from causality.

Simulations and realizations of active right-handed metamaterials with negative refractive index.

The theory of determining the sign of the refractive index in active materials is discussed. Animations of numerical simulations are presented, supporting the claim that negative refractive index may occur in right-handed media. An example of such a medium, in the form of a lumped circuit model with active and passive resonances, is presented.

On resolving the refractive index and the wave vector.

The identification of the refractive index and the wave vector for general (possibly active) linear, isotropic, homogeneous, and nonspatially dispersive media is discussed. Correct conditions for negative refraction necessarily include the global properties of the permittivity and permeability functions epsilon=epsilon(omega) and mu=mu(omega). On the other hand, a necessary and sufficient condition for left handedness can be identified at a single frequency (Re epsilon/|epsilon|+Re mu/|mu|<0). At oblique incidence to semi-infinite, active media, it is explained that the wave vector generally loses its usual interpretation for real frequencies.

Fresnel equations and the refractive index of active media.

A class of realizable active media exists for which the refractive index cannot be defined as an analytic function in the upper half-plane of complex frequency. The conventional definition of the refractive index based on analyticity is modified such that it is valid for active media in general, and associated Fresnel equations are proved. In certain active media, the presence of a "backward" wave, for which both phase velocity and Poynting's vector point towards the excitation source, is demonstrated.

Causality and Kramers-Kronig relations for waveguides.

Starting from the condition that optical signals propagate causally, we derive Kramers-Kronig relations for waveguides. For hollow waveguides with perfectly conductive walls, the modes propagate causally and Kramers-Kronig relations between the real and imaginary part of the mode indices exist. For dielectric waveguides, there exists a Kramers-Kronig type relation between the real mode index of a guided mode and the imaginary mode indices associated with the evanescent modes. For weakly guiding waveguides, the Kramers-Kronig relations are particularly simple, as the modal dispersion is determined solely from the profile of the corresponding mode field.

Synthesis of birefringent reflective gratings.

The layer-peeling method for reconstruction of fiber and waveguide gratings is extended to the case of birefringent reflective gratings with polarization-dependent background index and polarization-dependent effective index contrast. Using a discrete grating model, we characterize the set of possible reflection and transmission Jones matrices and show that for a given wavelength, the total structure can be represented by a discrete reflector sandwiched between two retardation sections. In reflection the discrete reflector acts as a partial polarizer. A method for designing birefringent gratings is developed and tested numerically.

Design of short fiber Bragg gratings by use of optimization.

We demonstrate an optimization approach for designing fiber Bragg gratings. A layer-peeling inverse-scattering algorithm is used to produce an initial solution, which is optimized numerically with an iterative optimization method. To avoid problems with local minima, we use merit functions that are zero for wavelengths for which the predefined demands (acceptance limits) are fulfilled, making it possible to alter the local minima under the optimization process without disturbing the global minimum. Because short gratings are difficult to design with inverse scattering, and because the time consume of the optimization increases rapidly with the grating length, the method is particularly useful for designing short gratings. The method is also useful when the demands are complex and difficult to handle with inverse-scattering methods. Design examples are given, including a dispersionless bandpass filter suitable for dense wavelength-division multiplexing and a filter with linear reflectivity.

Reconstruction of gratings from noisy reflection data.

The worst-case error amplification factor in reconstructing a grating from its complex reflection spectrum is shown to be of the order 1/T(min), where T(min) is the minimum transmissivity through the grating. For a uniform grating with coupling coefficient-length product kappaL, the error amplification is exp(2kappaL). The exponential dependence on the grating strength shows that spatial characterization of gratings from a measured reflection spectrum is impossible if the grating is sufficiently strong. For moderately strong gratings, a simple regularization technique is proposed to stabilize the solution of the inverse-scattering problem of computing the grating structure from the reflection spectrum.