Quantum key distribution is among the foremost applications of quantum mechanics, both in terms of fundamental physics and as a technology on the brink of commercial deployment. Starting from principal schemes and initial proofs of unconditional security for perfect systems, much effort has gone into providing secure schemes which can cope with numerous experimental imperfections unavoidable in real world implementations. In this paper, we provide a comparison of various schemes and protocols. We analyse their efficiency and performance when implemented with imperfect physical components. We consider how experimental faults are accounted for using effective parameters. We compare various protocols and provide guidelines as to which components propose best advances when being improved.
@article{arxiv.0712.0517,
title = {Recent developments in quantum key distribution: theory and practice},
author = {Wolfgang Mauerer and Wolfram Helwig and Christine Silberhorn},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0712.0517},
year = {2008}
}
Comments
Invited paper for the Annals of Physics special issue on the occasion of Max Planck's 150th birthday. This made it inevitable to use Planck, Bohr, and Einstein instead of Alice, Bob, and Eve. Published version with minor corrections