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Improving the performance of reference-frame-independent quantum key distribution with advantage distillation technology

Xiao-Lei Jiang, Yang Wang, Jia-Ji Li, Yifei Lu, Chen-Peng Hao, Chun Hua Zhou, Wan‐Su Bao

Published Feb 16, 2023• 20 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The reference-frame-independent quantum key distribution (RFI-QKD) has the advantage of tolerating reference frames that slowly vary. It can generate secure keys between two remote users with slowly drifted and unknown reference frames. However, the drift of reference frames may inevitably compromise the performance of QKD systems. In the paper, we employ the advantage distillation technology (ADT) to the RFI-QKD and the RFI measurement-device-independent QKD (RFI MDI-QKD), and we then analyze the effect of ADT on the performance of decoy-state RFI-QKD and RFI MDI-QKD in both asymptotic and nonasymptotic cases. The simulation results show that ADT can significantly improve the maximum transmission distance and the maximum tolerable background error rate. Furthermore, the performance of RFI-QKD and RFI MDI-QKD in terms of the secret key rate and maximum transmission distance are still greatly improved when statistical fluctuations are taken into account. Our work combines the merits of the ADT and RFI-QKD protocols, which further enhances the robustness and practicability of QKD systems.

DOI
10.1364/oe.480570

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The reference-frame-independent quantum key distribution (RFI-QKD) has the advantage of tolerating reference frames that slowly vary. It can generate secure keys between two remote users with slowly drifted and unknown reference frames. However, the drift of reference frames may inevitably compromise the performance of QKD systems. In the paper, we employ the advantage distillation technology (ADT) to the RFI-QKD and the RFI measurement-device-independent QKD (RFI MDI-QKD), and we then analyze the effect of ADT on the performance of decoy-state RFI-QKD and RFI MDI-QKD in both asymptotic and nonasymptotic cases. The simulation results show that ADT can significantly improve the maximum transmission distance and the maximum tolerable background error rate. Furthermore, the performance of RFI-QKD and RFI MDI-QKD in terms of the secret key rate and maximum transmission distance are still greatly improved when statistical fluctuations are taken into account. Our work combines the merits of the ADT and RFI-QKD protocols, which further enhances the robustness and practicability of QKD systems.
Abstract The robustness of reference-frame-independent measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (RFI-MDI-QKD) against detection system vulnerabilities and its tolerance to reference frame drifts make it an ideal choice for hybrid channels. However, the impact of atmospheric turbulence on transmittance fluctuations remains a significant challenge for enhancing the performance of RFI-MDI-QKD. In this paper, we apply prefixed-threshold real-time selection and advantage distillation techniques to RFI-MDI-QKD in a hybrid channels scenario. Then, we analytically derive formulas for secret key rate in hybrid channels. Simulation results show that our modified scheme has apparent advances in both maximum tolerant loss and secure key rate compared to the fiber-only channel. Specifically, the result demonstrates that the maximum transmission distance can be improved by 15 km and 28 km when N = 1012 and 1011. Our work not only provides a more robust key distribution protocol but also establishes a solid theoretical foundation for enhancing the performance of RFI-MDI-QKD in hybrid channels.
Advantage distillation (AD) provides a means of separating highly correlated raw key bits from weakly correlated information in quantum key distribution (QKD). In this Letter, we apply the AD method to improve the performance of reference-frame-independent QKD (RFI-QKD). Simulation results show that, compared with RFI-QKD without AD, RFI-QKD with AD can tolerate higher system errors and obtain better performance on the secret key rate and transmission distance. Furthermore, we extend the AD method to RFI measurement-device-independent QKD (RFI-MDI-QKD) and demonstrate that the AD method can improve the performance of RFI-MDI-QKD more significantly.
Reference-frame-independent quantum key distribution (RFI-QKD) can generate secure keys between two remote peers with an unknown and slowly drifted reference frame. It adopts a statistical quantity C independent of the rotation of the reference frame to estimate the eavesdropper’s knowledge. However, in practical scenarios, the estimation of C should be completed with data collected in a short period of time, since the variation of the reference frame during the run will smear its correlations. In this paper, we propose to improve the performance of RFI-QKD with a new, to the best of our knowledge, statistical quantity R , which is less sensitive to statistical fluctuations and more robust to the variation of the reference frame, and obtain an analytical bound to estimate the eavesdropper’s knowledge. Simulation results show that the performance of RFI-QKD in the non-asymptotic case can be significantly promoted, which is very promising in practical QKD systems. Furthermore, we apply the new statistical quantity R to the RFI measurement-device-independent QKD (RFI-MDI-QKD) protocol and demonstrate that significant improvement can also be obtained in RFI-MDI-QKD.
Reference-frame-independent measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (RFI-MDI-QKD) eliminates detector side-channel attacks and avoids reference-frame calibration. While its feasibility has been widely demonstrated, existing implementations typically assume fixed or slowly drifting reference-frame misalignment, conditions rarely satisfied outside the laboratory. In realistic environments, rapid and free-running reference-frame variations can severely degrade both the key rate and transmission distance of conventional RFI-MDI-QKD. Here we propose a free-running RFI-MDI-QKD protocol that maintains high-rate key generation under rapid reference-frame variations. By introducing a classification-distillation method that reclassifies total detection events, secure keys can be extracted without modifying the experimental setup. Our protocol achieves a key rate more than nine times higher than the best previous RFI-MDI-QKD scheme and tolerates channel losses exceeding 24 dB, where earlier approaches fail. These results enable practical quantum key distribution on mobile platforms, including satellite-to-ground links and airborne nodes.
Abstract Reference-frame-independent measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (RFI-MDI-QKD) is considered one of the most promising protocols, as it can generate secret keys without reference frame alignment and defeat all attacks on the measurement side. A fundamental assumption for the security of RFI-MDI-QKD is that both senders can prepare their quantum states with perfect randomness. However, in practical implementations, this assumption may be violated, primarily due to limitations in the imperfect random numbers and quantum device imperfections. In this work, we investigate the effect of weak randomness on the state preparation in practical decoy-state RFI-MDI-QKD, demonstrating that even a small proportion of weak randomness severely compromises the security of RFI-MDI-QKD. Furthermore, we apply the advantage distillation (AD) method to counteract the performance degradation caused by weak randomness in RFI-MDI-QKD. Simulation results demonstrate that AD can significantly improve both the secret key rate and the maximum transmission distance for practical decoy-state RFI-MDI-QKD under weak randomness conditions. These results represent a critical advance toward the development of secure, long-distance, multi-node quantum communication networks.
Abstract Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides a promising solution for sharing information-theoretic secret keys between two remote legitimate parties. To improve the maximal transmission distance and the maximal error rate tolerance, we apply the advantage distillation technology to analyze the security of practical decoy-state QKD systems. Based on the practical experimental parameters, the device-dependent QKD protocols and the measurement-device-independent QKD protocols have been respectively analyzed, and our analysis results demonstrate that the advantage distillation technology can significantly improve the performance of various QKD protocols. In the four-state and six-state device-dependent QKD protocols, we prove that the maximal transmission distance can be improved from 142 km to 180 km and from 146 km to 187 km respectively. In the four-state and six-state measurement-device-independent QKD protocols, we prove that the maximal transmission distance can be improved from 195 km to 273 km and from 200 km to 282 km respectively.