Transmission Experiment of Quantum Keys over 50 km Using High-Performance Quantum-Dot Single-Photon Source at 1.5 µm Wavelength

We have developed a high-performance single-photon source (SPS) operating at 1.5 µm wavelength. The source is an InAs/InP quantum dot with a horn-shaped nanostructure. A resonant excitation to the p-shell state helps achieve a single-photon efficiency of 5.8% after coupling into a single-mode fiber with a second-order correlation value of g(2)(0)∼0.055. The performance of the source has been assessed by integrating it into a conventional quantum key distribution system. We have successfully transmitted secure keys over a 50 km commercial fiber, exceeding the previously reported range for an SPS operating below 1.3 µm.