Long-distance quantum-secured optical channels in operational environments

Quantum-secured optical channels based on Quantum Key Distribution technology have generated a significant global interest.Although the maturity level of the short distance (less than 100 km) quantum-secured channels is at a deployment level, instituting such channels over long distance faces technological challenges, which is the subject of a world-wide research.In this article an industry perspective on establishing quantum-secured channels in large-scale optical networks in operational environments will be discussed, including the vision, requirements, and technical analysis of different approaches for establishing such channels.