Patent ID: 7707402
Filing Date: 2010-04-27
Classification: H04B,H04L

Abstract:
1. A quantum-cryptographic communication system configured to perform quantum-cryptographic communication in an optical network comprised of optical fibers, said quantum-cryptographic communication system comprising: a transmitter configured to produce and transmit, via an optical fiber connected thereto, a packet signal including both (i) a light pulse train constituting a header representing address information data and signal pulses used for normal communication and (ii) a single photon pulse train used in quantum cryptography, wherein the light pulse train and the single photon pulse train are divided into different frequencies, such that the light pulse train and the single photon pulse train are simultaneously transmitted together in the packet signal via the optical fiber at different frequencies to avoid interference; and a plurality of routers configured to determine transmission paths of the transmitted packet signal, each of said routers (i) being connected to one or more optical fibers of the optical network, (ii) including a header analyzer for detecting the address information of the light pulse train of the packet signal, and (iii) including a gate switch for switching to any of the optical fibers connected thereto, wherein, upon receiving the transmitted packet signal, each of said routers is configured (i) to determined a next transmission path of the packet signal according to the address information detected by said header analyzer, and (ii) to switch to an appropriate optical fiber, of the one or more optical fibers of the optical network, connected thereto using said gate switch to form the determined next transmission path for continuing a transmission of the multiplexed packet signal, such that the single photon pulses used for quantum cryptography are transmitted from a given user to a specific user.