Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Quantum Information and Computation

A study of BB84 protocol in a device-independent scenario: from the view of entanglement distillation

Zhen−Qiang Yin, Wei Chen, Shuang Wang, Hong-Wei Li, Guang‐Can Guo, Zheng‐Fu Han

Published Sep 1, 2013• 3 citations
Publisher

Abstract

For the past few years, the security of practical quantum key distribution systems has attracted a lot of attention. Device-independent quantum key distribution was proposed to design a real-life secure quantum key distribution system with imperfect and untrusted quantum devices. In this paper, we analyzed the security of BB84 protocol in a device-independent scenario based on the entanglement distillation method. Since most of the reported loopholes are in receivers of quantum key distribution systems, we focus on condition that the transmitter of the system is perfectly coincident with the requirement of the BB84 protocol, while the receiver can be controlled by eavesdropper. Finally, the lower bound of the final secret-key rate was proposed and we explained why the secure-key rate is similar to the well-known result for the original entanglement distillation protocol.

DOI
10.26421/qic13.9-10-5

Related papers

Semi device independence of the BB84 protocol

Erik Woodhead

The BB84 quantum key distribution protocol is semi device independent in the sense that it can be shown to be secure if just one of the users' devices is restricted to a qubit Hilbert space. Here, we derive an analytic lower bound on the asymptotic secret key rate for the entanglement-based version of BB84 assuming only that one of the users performs unknown qubit POVMs. The result holds against the class of collective attacks and reduces to the well known Shor–Preskill key rate for correlations corresponding to the ideal BB84 correlations mixed with any amount of random noise.

arXiv:1512.03387•New Journal of Physics•May 17, 2016•11 citations

Security of quantum key distribution with state-dependent imperfections

Hong-Wei Li, Zhen−Qiang Yin, Shuang Wang +3 more

In practical quantum key distribution system, the state preparation and measurement have state-dependent imperfections comparing with the ideal BB84 protocol. If the state-dependent imperfection can not be regarded as an unitary transformation, it should not be considered as part of quantum channel noise introduced by the eavesdropper, the commonly used secret key rate formula GLLP can not be applied correspondingly. In this paper, the unconditional security of quantum key distribution with state-dependent imperfections will be analyzed by estimating upper bound of the phase error rate in the quantum channel and the imperfect measurement. Interestingly, since Eve can not control all phase error in the quantum key distribution system, the final secret key rate under constant quantum bit error rate can be improved comparing with the perfect quantum key distribution protocol.

arXiv:1009.1047•Quantum Information and Computation•Nov 1, 2011•3 citations

Security and Practical Models for Quantum Key Distribution

Juliette van Mil

This report reviews two quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols: the BB84 protocol and the measurement device independent (MDI) QKD protocol. The goal of this report is to recreate the security proof of the BB84 protocol, to generate the secret key rate for a practical application of the BB84 protocol, both with and without decoy states, and to review the MDI-QKD protocol and look at the advantages it has for practical QKD. The proof security of the BB84 protocol is done by designing an equivalent theoretical protocol and proving its security by bounding the information of the eavesdropper to an exponentially small number. The best distance over which secret key rate can be generated with the practical model of the BB84 protocol that is presented in this report, is 165 km. This is achieved by employing decoy states and is more than three times as far as the model can achieve without decoy states, which gave a distance of 52 km at best. The zero distance key rate of the model with decoy states is R = 1.21 · 10-2 bits per pulse (bpp), at best. This is an order of magnitude larger than R =1.02 · 10-3 bpp, which is what the model without decoy states could produce. The decoy state method is therefore an improvement for practical QKD. By reviewing the MDI-QKD protocol it can be concluded that because it eliminates the measurement device side channels, it is very useful for practical QKD, since it makes security analysis simpler and more precise. It also necessarily employs decoy states, which improves the secret key rate. MDI-QKD therefore is a promising protocol to use for future quantum communications.

•Jan 1, 2021•0 citations

A Security Proof of Measurement Device Independent Quantum Key Distribution: From the View of Information Theory

Fang-Yi Li, Zhen−Qiang Yin, Hong-Wei Li +5 more

Although some ideal quantum key distribution protocols have been proved to be secure, there have been some demonstrations that practical quantum key distribution implementations were hacked due to some real-life imperfections. Among these attacks, detector side channel attacks may be the most serious. Recently, a measurement device independent quantum key distribution protocol [ Phys. Rev. Lett. 108 (2012) 130503 ] was proposed and all detector side channel attacks are removed in this scheme. Here a new security proof based on quantum information theory is given. The eavesdropper's information of the sifted key bits is bounded. Then with this bound, the final secure key bit rate can be obtained.

Chinese Physics Letters•Jul 1, 2014•7 citations

Evaluating BB84 Protocol for Next-Generation Quantum Key Distribution Systems

L. P., Achanta Sree Rama Shriya, R. Kishore +1 more

In recent years, traditional cryptography has faced a lot of threats with advancements in quantum computing technology. The objective of the work is to analyze the suitability of the BB84 protocol for quantum key distribution. The BB84 protocol uses the principles of superposition, entanglement, and the no-cloning theorem that provide a framework enabling the secure exchange of secret keys. Qiskit, an open-source software, is used for analysis and study. An ideal quantum channel is established between the two communicating parties using Qiskit. The analysis is done in the presence of an eavesdropper, and it is found that the eavesdropper’s incorrect basis choices alter the states of the qubits, and thereby, the communicating parties will come to know about the interception.

•Jun 5, 2025•1 citation

Upper bounds on the rate in device-independent quantum key distribution

Matthias Christandl, Roberto Ferrara, Karol Horodecki

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a method to distribute secret key among sender and receiver by the transmission of quantum particles (e.g. photons). Device-independent quantum key distribution (DIQKD) is a version of quantum key distribution with a stronger security demand in that sender and receiver do not need to rely on the inner workings of their device, which consequently can come from an untrusted vendor. We study the rate at which DIQKD can be carried out for a given quantum channel connecting sender and receiver and provide a technique to upper bound the achievable rate. As a result, we show that the rate of device independent secure key can for some channels be much smaller (even arbitrarily so) than that of QKD. We do so, by first providing definition of device independent secure key rate, which is of independent interest. For bipartite states we formulate a sufficient condition for a gap between QKD and DIQKD key rates and examples of 8-qubit bipartite state exhibiting the gap between device dependent and device independent key.

•May 27, 2020•3 citations
For the past few years, the security of practical quantum key distribution systems has attracted a lot of attention. Device-independent quantum key distribution was proposed to design a real-life secure quantum key distribution system with imperfect and untrusted quantum devices. In this paper, we analyzed the security of BB84 protocol in a device-independent scenario based on the entanglement distillation method. Since most of the reported loopholes are in receivers of quantum key distribution systems, we focus on condition that the transmitter of the system is perfectly coincident with the requirement of the BB84 protocol, while the receiver can be controlled by eavesdropper. Finally, the lower bound of the final secret-key rate was proposed and we explained why the secure-key rate is similar to the well-known result for the original entanglement distillation protocol.
The BB84 quantum key distribution protocol is semi device independent in the sense that it can be shown to be secure if just one of the users' devices is restricted to a qubit Hilbert space. Here, we derive an analytic lower bound on the asymptotic secret key rate for the entanglement-based version of BB84 assuming only that one of the users performs unknown qubit POVMs. The result holds against the class of collective attacks and reduces to the well known Shor–Preskill key rate for correlations corresponding to the ideal BB84 correlations mixed with any amount of random noise.
In practical quantum key distribution system, the state preparation and measurement have state-dependent imperfections comparing with the ideal BB84 protocol. If the state-dependent imperfection can not be regarded as an unitary transformation, it should not be considered as part of quantum channel noise introduced by the eavesdropper, the commonly used secret key rate formula GLLP can not be applied correspondingly. In this paper, the unconditional security of quantum key distribution with state-dependent imperfections will be analyzed by estimating upper bound of the phase error rate in the quantum channel and the imperfect measurement. Interestingly, since Eve can not control all phase error in the quantum key distribution system, the final secret key rate under constant quantum bit error rate can be improved comparing with the perfect quantum key distribution protocol.
This report reviews two quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols: the BB84 protocol and the measurement device independent (MDI) QKD protocol. The goal of this report is to recreate the security proof of the BB84 protocol, to generate the secret key rate for a practical application of the BB84 protocol, both with and without decoy states, and to review the MDI-QKD protocol and look at the advantages it has for practical QKD. The proof security of the BB84 protocol is done by designing an equivalent theoretical protocol and proving its security by bounding the information of the eavesdropper to an exponentially small number. The best distance over which secret key rate can be generated with the practical model of the BB84 protocol that is presented in this report, is 165 km. This is achieved by employing decoy states and is more than three times as far as the model can achieve without decoy states, which gave a distance of 52 km at best. The zero distance key rate of the model with decoy states is R = 1.21 · 10-2 bits per pulse (bpp), at best. This is an order of magnitude larger than R =1.02 · 10-3 bpp, which is what the model without decoy states could produce. The decoy state method is therefore an improvement for practical QKD. By reviewing the MDI-QKD protocol it can be concluded that because it eliminates the measurement device side channels, it is very useful for practical QKD, since it makes security analysis simpler and more precise. It also necessarily employs decoy states, which improves the secret key rate. MDI-QKD therefore is a promising protocol to use for future quantum communications.
Although some ideal quantum key distribution protocols have been proved to be secure, there have been some demonstrations that practical quantum key distribution implementations were hacked due to some real-life imperfections. Among these attacks, detector side channel attacks may be the most serious. Recently, a measurement device independent quantum key distribution protocol [ Phys. Rev. Lett. 108 (2012) 130503 ] was proposed and all detector side channel attacks are removed in this scheme. Here a new security proof based on quantum information theory is given. The eavesdropper's information of the sifted key bits is bounded. Then with this bound, the final secure key bit rate can be obtained.
In recent years, traditional cryptography has faced a lot of threats with advancements in quantum computing technology. The objective of the work is to analyze the suitability of the BB84 protocol for quantum key distribution. The BB84 protocol uses the principles of superposition, entanglement, and the no-cloning theorem that provide a framework enabling the secure exchange of secret keys. Qiskit, an open-source software, is used for analysis and study. An ideal quantum channel is established between the two communicating parties using Qiskit. The analysis is done in the presence of an eavesdropper, and it is found that the eavesdropper’s incorrect basis choices alter the states of the qubits, and thereby, the communicating parties will come to know about the interception.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a method to distribute secret key among sender and receiver by the transmission of quantum particles (e.g. photons). Device-independent quantum key distribution (DIQKD) is a version of quantum key distribution with a stronger security demand in that sender and receiver do not need to rely on the inner workings of their device, which consequently can come from an untrusted vendor. We study the rate at which DIQKD can be carried out for a given quantum channel connecting sender and receiver and provide a technique to upper bound the achievable rate. As a result, we show that the rate of device independent secure key can for some channels be much smaller (even arbitrarily so) than that of QKD. We do so, by first providing definition of device independent secure key rate, which is of independent interest. For bipartite states we formulate a sufficient condition for a gap between QKD and DIQKD key rates and examples of 8-qubit bipartite state exhibiting the gap between device dependent and device independent key.