What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to investigate the coexistence of quantum and classical communication using few-mode fiber.

March 12, 2026Open Access

Simultaneous Transmission of Discrete-Variable Quantum Key Distribution and Classical Optical Communication in Few-Mode Fiber

Key Points

The aim is to investigate the coexistence of quantum and classical communication using few-mode fiber.
Developed a spontaneous Raman scattering model based on mode crosstalk theory.
Utilized numerical calculations to analyze the influence of mode coupling, number of modes, and wavelengths.
Proposed a ring-assisted few-mode fiber to mitigate noise impacts on quantum signals.
Identified three main contributors to spontaneous Raman scattering.
Revealed relative impact magnitudes of these contributors.
Optimized few-mode fiber enhanced quantum signal transmission distance by up to 41.5%.

Abstract

Based on mode crosstalk theory, this paper develops a spontaneous Raman scattering (SpRS) model for the quantum-classical coexistence system using few-mode fiber (FMF) integrated with wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) and spatial-division multiplexing (SDM). Through numerical calculations, the influence degrees of three factors (mode coupling, the number of modes and wavelengths) on SpRS are analyzed. The investigation identifies the dominant contributors to SpRS and reveals their relative impact magnitudes. Based on these results, a ring-assisted FMF is proposed to mitigate noise impacts on quantum signals. The numerical results show that the optimized FMF enhances quantum signal transmission distance by up to 41.5%.

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Cite This Study

Zhao et al. (Mon,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69b2584996eeacc4fcec7bee https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/e28030309

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