Cryptography in coherent optical information networks using dissipative metamaterial gates

Abstract

All-optical encryption of information in fibre telecommunication networks offers lower complexity and far higher data rates than electronic encryption can deliver. However, existing optical layer encryption methods, that are compatible with keys of unlimited length, are based on nonlinear processes that require intense optical fields. Here, we introduce an optical layer secure communication protocol that does not rely on nonlinear optical processes but instead uses energy redistribution of coherent optical waves interacting on a plasmonic metamaterial absorber. We implement the protocol in a telecommunication optical fibre information network, where signal and key distribution lines use a common coherent information carrier. We investigate and demonstrate different encryption modes, including a scheme providing perfect secrecy. All-optical cryptography as demonstrated here exploits signal processing mechanisms that can satisfy optical telecom data rate requirements in any current or next-generation frequency band with bandwidth exceeding 100 THz and switching energy of a few photons per bit. This is the first demonstration of an optical telecommunications application of metamaterial technology.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Angelos Xomalis: orcid.org/0000-0001-8406-9571

ORCID for Iosif Demirtzioglou: orcid.org/0000-0003-3048-1768

ORCID for Yongmin Jung: orcid.org/0000-0002-9054-4372

ORCID for Eric Plum: orcid.org/0000-0002-1552-1840

ORCID for Cosimo Lacava: orcid.org/0000-0002-9950-8642

ORCID for Periklis Petropoulos: orcid.org/0000-0002-1576-8034

ORCID for David Richardson: orcid.org/0000-0002-7751-1058

ORCID for Nikolai Zheludev: orcid.org/0000-0002-1013-6636

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