Quantum key distribution based on orthogonal state encoding (2107.01964v6)

Abstract: Quantum key distribution(QKD) is one of the most significant areas in quantum information theory. For nearly four decades, substantial QKD schemes are developed. In early years, the security of QKD protocols is depend on switching different bases, namely based on non-orthogonal state encoding. The most famous example is the BB84 protocol. Later, other techniques were developed for orthogonal state encoding. Examples of such protocols include the GV protocol and order-rearrangement protocols. In this paper, we present two QKD protocols based on orthogonal state encoding. One of them does not need to employ order-rearrangement techniques while the other needs to. We provide analyses for them, demonstrating that they are highly efficient when considering consumptions of both qubits and classical bits. Furthermore, the employment of maximally entangled states could be less than previous ones and so the measurement efficiency could be increased. We also modify the protocols for implementing in noisy channels by applying the testing state method.