Proof-of-concept of a QKD-secured distributed measurement system

This paper presents the design, implementation, and validation of a distributed measurement system secured by Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). Based on a client-server architecture, the system allows a client, connected to a node of a network, to encrypt and send instructions to a remote server for controlling automatic test equipment. The proposed architecture was designed to ensure secure real-time data exchange by leveraging both quantum and classical communication channels.A key management architecture was proposed to allow flexibility and adaptability in a variety of scenarios. The developed system was implemented using the LabVIEW development environment, using as a case study the Quantum Key Distribution Platforms provided by ThinkQuantum S.r.l. As the research work is in its starting phase, attention has been paid to a single client-server link, establishing the foundational architecture and demonstrating feasibility.Experimental results show the possibility of applying QKD to secure distributed measurement systems, which can handle real-time data exchange with key retrieval times in the order of seconds. The system is designed to be adaptable to various QKD technologies, laying the groundwork for future real-world applications in secure distributed measurement systems.