Work

On the (relation between) efficiency and secret key rate of QKD

Year: 2024
Type: article
Abstract: The processes of evaluation and comparison play a vital role in the development of a scientific field. In the field of quantum cryptography (especially quantum key distribution, QKD), the so-called secret key rate is used for characterizing the performance of a protocol (scheme). However the current definition of this quantity is incomplete. It does not consider the classical communication process taking place in a QKD protocol. There exists a quantity that involves all the procedures (resources) in a communication process: it is the efficiency (total efficiency). This paper reports a definition of this parameter. Also the relation between the total efficiency and key rate is found. By means of this relation, the total secret key rate of a QKD protocol is expressed. An application of the total key rate is demonstrated: the original twin-field QKD (TF-QKD) is evaluated in terms of this rate. The paper also shows a comparison between the total key rate and the standard key rate of a TF-QKD.
Language: English
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,590
OpenAlex ID: W4391787129
FWCI: 0.649
Cites: 30
Cited by: 5
Related to: 10