Two for One: New Design Enables More Cost-Effective Quantum Key Distribution

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A highly simplified schematic of a recipients detectors in a quantum cryptography setup. Conventional cryptography setups (left) require at least two detectors and the most common setup known as BB84 requires four. By adding an optical component that ...
A highly simplified schematic of a recipient's detectors in a quantum cryptography setup. Conventional cryptography setups (left) require at least two detectors, and the most common setup, known as BB84, requires four. By adding an optical component that delays the travel of photons to the detector, the number of required detectors is cut in half. Credit: NIST
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have demonstrated a simpler and potentially lower-cost method for distributing strings of digits, or “keys,” for use in quantum cryptography, the most secure method of transmitting data. The new “quantum key distribution” (QKD) method, outlined in an upcoming paper, minimizes the required number of detectors, by far the most costly components in quantum cryptography.


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