Quantum key distribution (QKD) enables the transmission of information that is secure against general attacks by eavesdroppers. The use of on-demand quantum light sources in QKD protocols is expected to help improve security and maximum tolerable loss. Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are a promising building block for quantum communication applications because of the deterministic emission of single photons with high brightness and low multiphoton contribution. Here we report on the first intercity QKD experiment using a bright deterministic single photon source. A BB84 protocol based on polarisation encoding is realised using the high-rate single photons in the telecommunication C-band emitted from a semiconductor QD embedded in a circular Bragg grating structure. Utilising the 79 km long link with 25.49 dB loss (equivalent to 130 km for the direct-connected optical fibre) between the German cities of Hannover and Braunschweig, a record-high secret key bits per pulse of 4.8 × 10 with an average quantum bit error ratio of ~ 0.65% are demonstrated. An asymptotic maximum tolerable loss of 28.11 dB is found, corresponding to a length of 144 km of standard telecommunication fibre. Deterministic semiconductor sources therefore challenge state-of-the-art QKD protocols and have the potential to excel in measurement device independent protocols and quantum repeater applications.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41377-024-01488-0 | DOI Listing |
Inorg Chem
January 2025
Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, Patras 265 04, Greece.
A new [DyBiOCl(saph)] () Werner-type cluster has been prepared, which is the first Dy/Bi polynuclear compound with no metal-metal bond and one of the very few Ln-Bi (Ln = lanthanide) heterometallic complexes reported to date. The molecular compound has been deliberately transformed to its 1-D analogue [DyBiO(N)(saph)] () via the replacement of the terminal Cl ions by end-to-end bridging N groups. The overall metallic skeleton of (and ) can be described as consisting of a diamagnetic {Bi} unit with an elongated trigonal bipyramidal topology, surrounded by a magnetic {Dy} equilateral triangle, which does not contain μ-oxo/hydroxo/alkoxo groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNano Lett
January 2025
School of Physics and Technology, and Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
Hybrid nonlinear plasmonic waveguides, characterized by a small mode area and large nonlinear susceptibility, present an intriguing and practical platform for the minimization of nonlinear photonic devices. Nevertheless, the intrinsic Ohmic loss associated with surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) and modal dispersion imposes constraints on the effective interaction length and, consequently, the ultimate efficiency of nonlinear processes. In this study, we demonstrate an efficient second harmonic generation (SHG) within a hybrid plasmonic waveguide by leveraging SPP-like modes at the fundamental wave and photonic-like modes at the SHG under phase matching conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Chem Eng Data
January 2025
Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042 Monserrato, Italy.
Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have recently gained attention due to their tailorable properties and versatile applications in several fields, including green chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and energy storage. Their tunable properties can be enhanced by mixing DESs with cosolvents such as ethanol, acetonitrile, and water. DESs are structurally complex, and molecular modeling techniques, including quantum mechanical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations, play a crucial role in understanding their intricate behavior when mixed with cosolvents.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLiver Int
February 2025
Roger Williams Institute of Liver Studies, Foundation for Liver Research, London, UK.
Background: Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) encompasses a spectrum of histological conditions ranging from simple steatosis to fibrosing steatohepatitis, and is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). While oxidised apolipoproteins A and B have been linked to obesity and CVD, the association between other oxidised apolipoproteins and MASLD is yet to be established. To fill this gap, we characterised the circulating serum peptidome of patients with MASLD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNat Nanotechnol
January 2025
Bay Area Center for Electron Microscopy, Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, China.
Skyrmions can form regular arrangements, so-called skyrmion crystals (SkXs). A mode with multiple wavevectors q then describes the arrangement. While magnetic SkXs, which can emerge in the presence of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, are well established, polar skyrmion lattices are still elusive.
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