A quantum opto-electronic computer system to generate a cryptographic key for data encryption and/or decryption, the system including a first quantum opto-electronic device, a second quantum opto-electronic device and a third quantum interference and measurement electronic device, the first quantum opto-electronic device including a first optical source, a first variable beam splitter, a first photon detector and/or a second photon detector, the second quantum opto-electronic device including a second optical source, a second variable beam splitter, a third photon detector and/or a fourth photon detector, the third quantum interference and measurement electronic device including a third beam splitter, a fifth photon detector and a sixth photon detector, wherein the quantum opto-electronic computer system, being implemented by the first quantum opto-electronic device, is configured to:
- produce, using the first optical source, a first entangled two-mode state of light, wherein the first entangled two-mode state of light includes a signal beam a1 and an idler beam a2;
- multiplex said idler beam a2 with a pulsed coherent beam at an optical multiplexer and send to the third quantum interference and measurement electronic device;
- interfere, on the first variable beam splitter, a shared state of the signal beam a1 with a first coherent state |α of the first optical source and measure therefrom a first number of transmitted and/or reflected photons at the first and/or second photon detectors;
- repeat said interference for a plurality of different reflectivities ra of the first variable beam splitter and generate therefrom a first plurality of measurements;
- generate a first cryptographic key as a function of a first portion of the first plurality of measurements;
- perform an entanglement test of the first cryptographic key as a function of a second portion of the first plurality of measurements, wherein the second portion of the first plurality of measurements is different from the first portion of the first plurality of measurements;
- wherein the quantum opto-electronic computer system, being implemented by the second quantum opto-electronic device, is further configured to:
- produce, using the second optical source, a second entangled two-mode state of light, wherein the second entangled two-mode state of light includes a signal beam b1 and an idler beam b2;
- multiplex the idler beam b2 with a pulsed coherent beam at an optical multiplexer and send to the third quantum interference and measurement electronic device;
- interfere, on the second variable beam splitter, a shared state of the signal beam b1 with a second coherent state |β of the second optical source and measuring therefrom a second number of transmitted and/or reflected photons at the third and/or fourth photon detectors;
- repeat said interference for a plurality of different reflectivities rb of the second variable beam splitter and/or a plurality of different amplitudes/phases of the second coherent state and generate therefrom a second plurality of measurements;
- generate a second cryptographic key as a function of a first portion of the second plurality of measurements;
- perform an entanglement test of the second cryptographic key as a function of a second portion of the second plurality of measurements, wherein the second portion of the second plurality of measurements is different from the first portion of the second plurality of measurements;
- and
- wherein the quantum opto-electronic computer system, being implemented by the third quantum interference and measurement electronic device, is further configured to:
- demultiplex the idler beam a2 from a pulsed coherent beam at a first optical demultiplexer and subsequently measure optical phase, polarization, wavelength, intensity and arrival time of the pulsed coherent beam at a first optical measurement device;
- using a first optical correction device, compensate fluctuations in optical phase, polarization, wavelength and time of the idler beam a2 in such a way that it possesses a desired optical phase, polarization, wavelength, intensity and arrival time at the third beam splitter;
- demultiplex the idler beam b2 from a pulsed coherent beam at a second optical demultiplexer and subsequently measure optical phase, polarization, wavelength, intensity and arrival time of the pulsed coherent beam at a second optical measurement device;
- using a second optical correction device, compensate the fluctuations in optical phase, polarization, wavelength and time of the idler beam b2 in such a way that it possesses a desired optical phase, polarization, wavelength, intensity and arrival time at the third beam splitter;
- interfere the idler beam a2 with the idler beam b2 on the third beam splitter and measure with photon detectors therefrom a first number of photons and a second number of photons passing through the third beam splitter;
- transmit the first number of photons and the second number of photons to the first quantum opto-electronic device and second quantum opto-electronic device, so that the signal beam a1 and the signal beam b1 share an entangled state of light |Ψout(k,S), parametrized by the first number of photons and the second number of photons.