High-efficiency quantum key distribution without key sifting

摘要

In traditional quantum key distribution protocol, both communication parties need to reconciliate their encoding basis to realize sharing secret keys. However, the process of basis reconciliation decreases the generation efficiency of the secret key and classical information is needed to be transmitted for every raw key. Based on quantum interference, we propose a high-efficiency quantum key distribution protocol without basis reconciliation. The presented protocol can greatly improve the generating efficiency of secret keys, reaching 100% in the ideal case, and no classical information is needed. We also analyze the security of the protocol in detail, which shows that the protocol is robust against common attack strategies. Furthermore, the protocol can be implemented with current technologies and open promising possibilities for quantum cryptography. (C) 2018 Optical Society of America.