Secure key distribution based on chaos synchronization of VCSELs subject to symmetric random-polarization optical injection

We propose and numerically demonstrate a secure key distribution scheme based on the dynamic chaos synchronization of two external cavity vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) subject to symmetric random-polarization injections. By exchanging the random parameters that control the polarization angles of the driving injection, Alice and Bob can identify the time slots in which high-quality private chaos synchronization is achieved and independently generate a shared key from the synchronized polarization difference signals of their local VCSELs. The results show that Gb/s key distribution with a low bit error ratio can be achieved, and the shared key can pass all NIST tests, which guarantee the randomness of the key. In the proposed scheme, the exchange messages do not contain any information about the key generation, which affords a high-level of security for key distribution. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America