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A quantum key distribution network enables pairs of users to generate independent secret keys by leveraging the principles of quantum physics. For end-to-end secure communication, a user pair's secret key must remain secure against any…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2026-02-26 Yiming Bian , Yichen Zhang , Song Yu , Zhengyu Li , Hong Guo

In principle, quantum key distribution (QKD) offers information-theoretic security based on the laws of physics. In practice, however, the imperfections of realistic devices might introduce deviations from the idealized models used in…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2020-06-01 Feihu Xu , Xiongfeng Ma , Qiang Zhang , Hoi-Kwong Lo , Jian-Wei Pan

A semi-quantum key distribution (SQKD) protocol allows a quantum user and a limited "classical" user to establish a shared secret key secure against an all-powerful adversary. In this work, we present a new SQKD protocol where the quantum…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2017-10-17 Walter O. Krawec , Eric P. Geiss

Quantum key distribution (QKD) allows two spatially separated parties to securely generate a cryptographic key. The first QKD protocol, published by C. H. Bennett and G. Brassard in 1984 (BB84), describes how this is achieved by…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2009-03-13 Olli Ahonen

The intensity correlations due to imperfect modulation during the quantum-state preparation in a measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI QKD) system compromise its security performance. Therefore, it is crucial to…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2024-10-08 Junxuan Liu , Tianyi Xing , Ruiyin Liu , Zihao Chen , Hao Tan , Anqi Huang

The lists of bits processed in quantum key distribution are necessarily of finite length. The need for finite-key unconditional security bounds has been recognized long ago, but the theoretical tools have become available only very…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2015-05-13 Raymond Y. Q. Cai , Valerio Scarani

We address the security of continuous-variable quantum key distribution with squeezed states upon realistic conditions of noisy and lossy environment and limited reconciliation efficiency. Considering the generalized preparation scheme and…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2011-11-10 Vladyslav C. Usenko , Radim Filip

Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides information-theoretic security grounded in the fundamental laws of physics. Nevertheless, practical imperfections can introduce side channels that expose QKD systems to quantum hacking, especially…

We present a new technique for proving the security of quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols. It is based on direct information-theoretic arguments and thus also applies if no equivalent entanglement purification scheme can be found.…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2009-11-11 R. Renner , N. Gisin , B. Kraus

With the rise of quantum technologies, data security increasingly relies on quantum cryptography and its most notable application, quantum key distribution (QKD). Yet, current technological limitations, in particular, the unavailability of…

A major application of quantum communication is the distribution of entangled particles for use in quantum key distribution (QKD). Due to noise in the communication line, QKD is in practice limited to a distance of a few hundred kilometres,…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2015-04-28 Stefan Bäuml , Matthias Christandl , Karol Horodecki , Andreas Winter

Imperfect bit-and-basis encoders compromise the security of quantum key distribution (QKD) systems via modulation flaws, side channels and inter-pulse correlations, which invalidate standard security proofs. Existing results addressing such…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2026-02-02 Guillermo Currás-Lorenzo , Margarida Pereira , Go Kato , Marcos Curty , Kiyoshi Tamaki

This paper is withdrawn. We study the quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol based on a quantum retrodiction protocol, namely the so-called mean king problem. The security is analyzed by considering the eavesdropping on both the…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2013-01-15 Han-Duo Shi , Yi-Nan Wang , Li Jing , Ru-Quan Wang , Liang-Zhu Mu , Heng Fan

In satellite-based quantum key distribution (QKD), the number of secret bits that can be generated in a single satellite pass over the ground station is severely restricted by the pass duration and the free-space optical channel loss. High…

High-dimensional (HD) states are known to have several interesting properties when applied to quantum cryptography. For quantum key distribution (QKD), these states have the potential to improve noise tolerance and efficiency. However,…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2024-02-09 Hasan Iqbal , Walter O. Krawec

It has been shown that in the asymptotic case of infinite-key length the 2-decoy state QKD protocol outperforms the 1-decoy state protocol. Here, we present a finite-key analysis of the 1-decoy method. Interestingly, we find that for…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2018-05-09 Davide Rusca , Alberto Boaron , Fadri Grünenfelder , Anthony Martin , Hugo Zbinden

In quantum key distribution implementations, each session is typically chosen long enough so that the secret key rate approaches its asymptotic limit. However, this choice may be constrained by the physical scenario, as in the perspective…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2014-06-18 Davide Bacco , Matteo Canale , Nicola Laurenti , Giuseppe Vallone , Paolo Villoresi

Quantum conditional entropies play a fundamental role in quantum information theory. In quantum key distribution, they are exploited to obtain reliable lower bounds on the secret-key rates in the finite-size regime, against collective…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2026-03-05 Gabriele Staffieri , Giovanni Scala , Cosmo Lupo

Characterizing the physical channel and calibrating the cryptosystem hardware are prerequisites for establishing a quantum channel for quantum key distribution (QKD). Moreover, an inappropriately implemented calibration routine can open a…

In theory, quantum key distribution (QKD) provides unconditional security; however, its practical implementations are susceptible to exploitable vulnerabilities. This investigation tackles the constraints in practical QKD implementations…