Eur. Phys. J. D 41, 599-627 (2007)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjd/e2007-00010-4

Unconditional security of practical quantum key distribution

¹ Centre for Quantum Computation, Clarendon Laboratory, Oxford, UK
² Helsinki Institute of Physics, Helsinki, Finland
³ NEC Research Institute, Computer Science Department, Maharishi University of Management, Princeton, NJ, USA

Corresponding author: ^a nlutkenhaus@iqc.ca

Received: 30 October 2006
Published online: 17 January 2007

Abstract

We present a complete protocol for BB84 quantum key distribution for a realistic setting (noise, loss, multi-photon signals of the source) that covers many of todays experimental implementations. The security of this protocol is shown against an eavesdropper having unrestricted power to manipulate the signals coherently on their path from sender to receiver. The protocol and the security proof take into account the effects concerning the finite size of the generated key. This paper is identical to the preprint arXiv:quant-ph/0107017, which was finalized in 2001. Therefore, some of the more recent developments, including the question of composability, are not addressed.