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  <front>
    <journal-meta>
      <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">IJITEST</journal-id>
      <journal-title-group>
        <journal-title>International Journal of Innovative Trends in Engineering Science and Technology</journal-title>
        <abbrev-journal-title abbrev-type="publisher">IJITEST</abbrev-journal-title>
      </journal-title-group>
      <issn pub-type="epub">3139-6887</issn>
      <publisher>
        <publisher-name>Felix Academic Publications</publisher-name>
      </publisher>
      <self-uri xlink:href="https://ijitest.org"/>
    </journal-meta>
    <article-meta>
      <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">IJITEST-2026-003</article-id>
      <article-categories>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
          <subject>Original Research Articles</subject>
        </subj-group>
        <subj-group subj-group-type="article-type">
          <subject>Research Article</subject>
        </subj-group>
      </article-categories>
      <title-group>
        <article-title>Quantum-Enabled Security Framework for 6G Communications Based on QKD-OFDM Integration</article-title>
      </title-group>
      <contrib-group>
      <contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes">
        <name>
          <surname>Chikatla</surname>
          <given-names>Swapna Priya</given-names>
        </name>
        <email>swapnachsp@gmail.com</email>
        <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"/>
      </contrib>
      <contrib contrib-type="author">
        <name>
          <surname>Babu</surname>
          <given-names>Thorlapati Gulshan Sri</given-names>
        </name>
        <email>gulshansribabu@gmail.com</email>
        <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff2"/>
      </contrib>
      <contrib contrib-type="author">
        <name>
          <surname>Raj</surname>
          <given-names>S Naga Mallik</given-names>
        </name>
        <email>mallikblue@gmail.com</email>
        <xref ref-type="aff" rid="aff1"/>
      </contrib>
      </contrib-group>
    <aff id="aff1">
      <institution-wrap>
        <institution content-type="orgname">Associate Professor,Department of CSE, Vignans Institute of Information Technology (A), Visakhapatnam, India</institution>
      </institution-wrap>
    </aff>
    <aff id="aff2">
      <institution-wrap>
        <institution content-type="orgname">Student,Department of CIVIL, Vignans Institute of Information Technology (A), Visakhapatnam, India</institution>
      </institution-wrap>
    </aff>
      <pub-date date-type="pub" publication-format="electronic">
        <day>01</day>
        <month>08</month>
        <year>2026</year>
      </pub-date>
      <volume>1</volume>
      <issue>1</issue>
      <fpage>13</fpage>
      <lpage>20</lpage>
      <history>
        <date date-type="received" iso-8601-date="2026-03-29">
          <day>29</day>
          <month>03</month>
          <year>2026</year>
        </date>
        <date date-type="accepted" iso-8601-date="2026-08-01">
          <day>01</day>
          <month>08</month>
          <year>2026</year>
        </date>
      </history>
      <permissions>
        <copyright-statement>Copyright &#169; 2026 Swapna Priya Chikatla, Thorlapati Gulshan Sri Babu, S Naga Mallik Raj. Published by Felix Academic Publications.</copyright-statement>
        <copyright-year>2026</copyright-year>
        <copyright-holder>Swapna Priya Chikatla, Thorlapati Gulshan Sri Babu, S Naga Mallik Raj</copyright-holder>
        <license xlink:href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">
          <license-p>This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are properly credited.</license-p>
        </license>
      </permissions>
      <self-uri content-type="html" xlink:href="https://ijitest.org/archives/volume1/issue1/IJITEST-2026-003"/>
      <self-uri content-type="pdf" xlink:href="https://ijitest.org/api/files/published/IJITEST-2026-003-published.pdf"/>
      <abstract xml:lang="en">
        <p>Ultra-high data rates, efficient use of the terahertz spectrum, and significant connectivity are anticipated as Sixth Generation (6G) wireless communication emerges. However, traditional cryptographic algorithms like RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography, which are currently employed in wireless networks, are seriously threatened by the quick development of quantum computing. Future 6G systems must incorporate quantum-safe security measures to allay this worry. The incorporation of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) into the physical layer of 6G communication networks is investigated in this paper. To facilitate secure key exchange and identify eavesdropping, QKD makes use of quantum concepts like superposition, entanglement, and the no-cloning theorem. Realistic wireless channel conditions are used to analyze the BB84 and E91 protocols. A proposed 6G channel model incorporates Nakagami-m fading, additive white Gaussian noise, and path loss. Detector noise and channel disturbances are taken into account when modeling the Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER). In an OFDM framework, MATLAB simulations evaluate the secure key rate performance with respect to signal- to-noise ratio, transmission distance, and noise probability. The findings highlight the potential of QKD for secure 6G communications by showing that secure key generation is possible when the QBER stays below the theoretical threshold. Index Terms 5G and 6G wireless communications, Quantum Key Distribution, Fading Channels.</p>
      </abstract>
      <kwd-group kwd-group-type="author-keywords">
        <kwd>Cryptographic algorithms</kwd>
        <kwd>Quantum Key Distribution</kwd>
        <kwd>quantum computing</kwd>
        <kwd>Fading Channels</kwd>
      </kwd-group>
    </article-meta>
  </front>
  <body>
    <sec id="sec-summary">
      <title>Article Overview</title>
      <p>Ultra-high data rates, efficient use of the terahertz spectrum, and significant connectivity are anticipated as Sixth Generation (6G) wireless communication emerges. However, traditional cryptographic algorithms like RSA and Elliptic Curve Cryptography, which are currently employed in wireless networks, are seriously threatened by the quick development of quantum computing. Future 6G systems must incorporate quantum-safe security measures to allay this worry. The incorporation of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) into the physical layer of 6G communication networks is investigated in this paper. To facilitate secure key exchange and identify eavesdropping, QKD makes use of quantum concepts like superposition, entanglement, and the no-cloning theorem. Realistic wireless channel conditions are used to analyze the BB84 and E91 protocols. A proposed 6G channel model incorporates Nakagami-m fading, additive white Gaussian noise, and path loss. Detector noise and channel disturbances are taken into account when modeling the Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER). In an OFDM framework, MATLAB simulations evaluate the secure key rate performance with respect to signal- to-noise ratio, transmission distance, and noise probability. The findings highlight the potential of QKD for secure 6G communications by showing that secure key generation is possible when the QBER stays below the theoretical threshold. Index Terms 5G and 6G wireless communications, Quantum Key Distribution, Fading Channels.</p>
    </sec>
  </body>
  <back>
    <sec sec-type="declarations">
      <title>Declarations</title>
      <p>The authors declare that no competing interests exist in relation to this published work.</p>
    </sec>
  </back>
</article>