SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING ROUTING PROTOCOLS AND ALGORITHMS FOR QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHIC KEY TRANSPORT

A quantum cryptographic key distribution (QKD) relay (205) includes one or more interfaces (530-1 through 530-N) and processing logic (505). The one or more interfaces (530-1 through 530-N) receive secret keys from other QKD relays in a QKD network. The processing logic (505) determines one or more paths for transporting the secret keys, using quantum cryptographic techniques, across a QKD network and route the secret keys towards a respective destination across the QKD network using the determined one or more paths.