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Applied Physics Letters

Unconditionally secure one-way quantum key distribution using decoy pulses

Zhiliang L. Yuan, A. W. Sharpe, Andrew J. Shields

Published Jan 1, 2007• 134 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The authors report here a complete experimental realization of one-way decoy pulse quantum key distribution, demonstrating an unconditionally secure key rate of 5.51kbits∕s for a 25.3km fiber length. This is two orders of magnitudes higher than the value that can be obtained with a nondecoy system. They also introduce a simple test for detecting the photon number splitting attack and highlight that it is essential for the security of the technique to fully characterize the source and detectors used.

DOI
10.1063/1.2430685

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The authors report here a complete experimental realization of one-way decoy pulse quantum key distribution, demonstrating an unconditionally secure key rate of 5.51kbits∕s for a 25.3km fiber length. This is two orders of magnitudes higher than the value that can be obtained with a nondecoy system. They also introduce a simple test for detecting the photon number splitting attack and highlight that it is essential for the security of the technique to fully characterize the source and detectors used.
The imperfect components of a quantum key distribution (QKD) system will degrade its security. The highly attenuated weak coherent laser source used in today's QKD system is vulnerable to PNS attacks due to multi-photon optical pulses. Decoy State QKD, which is capable of beating PNS attacks and providing unconditional security, has been an attractive scheme recently. We have used a one way Faraday-Michelson phase modulated QKD system to implement 123km decoy state QKD in the lab. Furthermore a field decoy state QKD experiment of 32km dark fiber in Beijing is fulfilled. The optical pulse repetition rate is 1MHz and the final secure key is 9.59×10-7 (6.784×10-6) bit per pulse for 123km (32km). The experiment result indicates that the decoy state scheme can be successfully used in real-life metropolitan QKD sessions.
To increase dramatically the distance and the secure key generation rate of quantum key distribution (QKD), the idea of quantum decoys--signals of different intensities--has recently been proposed. Here, we present the first experimental implementation of decoy state QKD. By making simple modifications to a commercial quantum key distribution system, we show that a secure key generation rate of 165 bit/s, which is 1/4 of the theoretical limit, can be obtained over 15 km of a telecommunication fiber. We also show that with the same experimental parameters, not even a single bit of secure key can be extracted with a non-decoy-state protocol. Compared to building single photon sources, decoy state QKD is a much simpler method for increasing the distance and key generation rate of unconditionally secure QKD.
Quantum key distribution is proven to offer unconditional security in communication between two remote users with ideal source and detection. Unfortunately, ideal devices never exist in practice and device imperfections have become the targets of various attacks. By developing up-conversion single-photon detectors with high efficiency and low noise, we faithfully demonstrate the measurement-device-independent quantum-key-distribution protocol, which is immune to all hacking strategies on detection. Meanwhile, we employ the decoy-state method to defend attacks on a nonideal source. By assuming a trusted source scenario, our practical system, which generates more than a 25 kbit secure key over a 50 km fiber link, serves as a stepping stone in the quest for unconditionally secure communications with realistic devices.