Universal approach to sending-or-not-sending twin field quantum key distribution

Abstract

We present the method of decoy-state analysis after bit-flip error correction and using confidential observed numbers. Taking this tool we then construct a universal approach to sending-or-not-sending (SNS) protocol of twin-field quantum key distribution. In this improved protocol, the code bits are not limited to heralded events in time windows participated by pulses of intensity $\mu_z$ and vacuum. All kinds of heralded events can be used for code bits to distill the final keys. The number of intensities (3 or 4) and the kinds of heralded events for code bits are automatically chosen by the key rate optimization itself. Numerical simulation shows that the key rate rises drastically in typical settings, up to 80\% improvement compared with the prior results. Also, larger intensity value can be used for decoy pulses. This makes the protocol more robust in practical experiments.