Quantum cryptography with highly entangled photons from semiconductor quantum dots

Semiconductor quantum dots are capable of emitting polarization entangled photon pairs with ultralow multipair emission probability even at maximum brightness. Using a quantum dot source with a fidelity as high as 0.987(8), we implement here quantum key distribution with an average quantum bit error rate as low as 1.9% over a time span of 13 hours. For a proof of principle, the key generation is performed with the BBM92 protocol between two buildings, connected by a 350-m-long fiber, resulting in an average raw (secure) key rate of 135 bits/s (86 bits/s) for a pumping rate of 80 MHz, without resorting to time- or frequency-filtering techniques. Our work demonstrates the viability of quantum dots as light sources for entanglement-based quantum key distribution and quantum networks. By increasing the excitation rate and embedding the dots in state-of-the-art photonic structures, key generation rates in the gigabits per second range are in principle at reach.