Abstract
The dawning of the quantum age makes quantum key distribution (QKD) an indispensable necessity for our global communication infrastructure. The realization of an all-silicon QKD transmitter supplied by a light source that is native to silicon integration platforms is seen as a disruptive step towards the pervasive introduction of QKD in new applications, which up to now have not been explored due to the missing credentials of quantum optics as a cost-effective and highly miniaturized technology.