Hybrid quantum key distribution using coherent states and photon-number-resolving detectors

Abstract

We put forward a hybrid quantum key distribution protocol based on coherent states, Gaussian modulation, and photon-number-resolving (PNR) detectors, and show that it may enhance the secret key generation rate (KGR) compared to homodyne-based schemes. Improvement in the KGR may be traced back to the dependence of the two-dimensional discrete output variable on both the input quadratures, thus overcoming the limitations of the original protocol. When reverse reconciliation is considered, the scheme based on PNR detectors outperforms the homodyne one both for individual and collective attacks. In the presence of direct reconciliation, the PNR strategy is still the best one against individual attacks, but for the collective ones the homodyne-based scheme is still to be preferred as the channel transmissivity decreases.

5 pages, 5 figures. We extended our analysis to reverse reconciliation and to collective attacks

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Cited by in corpus (14)

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• Improve photon number discrimination for a superconducting series nanowire detector by applying a digital matched filter
• Temporal array with superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors for photon-number-resolution
• Assessing a binary quantum channel exploiting a Silicon photomultiplier based hybrid receiver
• Employing weak-field homodyne detection for quantum communications
• An introductory review of the theory of continuous-variable quantum key distribution: Fundamentals, protocols, and security
• Linearly Multiplexed Photon Number Resolving Single-photon Detectors Array
• Quantum communications in continuous variable systems
• Frequency multiplexed entanglement for continuous-variable quantum key distribution