Perfect Reconciliation in Quantum Key Distribution with Order-Two Frames

• Published in: Symmetry (Basel) 2021-09, Vol.13 (9), p.1672
• Main Authors: Lizama-Pérez, Luis Adrián, López-Romero, José Mauricio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Algorithms; Communication; Distillation; Error analysis; Error correction; Error correction & detection; Fiber optic networks; Frames; Methods; Quantum computing; Quantum cryptography; Reconciliation
• ISSN: 2073-8994; 2073-8994
• DOI: 10.3390/sym13091672

We present an error reconciliation method for Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) that corrects 100% of errors generated in regular binary frames transmitted over a noisy quantum channel regardless of the quantum channel error rate. In a previous investigation, we introduced a novel distillation QKD algorithm whose secret key rate descends linearly with respect to the channel error rate. Now, as the main achievement of this work, we demonstrate an improved algorithm capable of retaining almost all the secret information enclosed in the regular binary frames. Remarkably, this technique increases quadratically the secret key rate as a function of the double matching detection events and doubly quadratically in the number of the quantum pulses. Furthermore, this reconciliation method opens up the opportunity to use less attenuated quantum pulses, would allow greater QKD distances at drastically increased secret key rate. Since our method can be implemented as a software update, we hope that quantum key distribution technology would be fast deployed over global data networks in the quantum era.