Long-distance device-independent quantum key distribution with standard optics tools

Abstract

Device-independent quantum key distribution (DI-QKD) enables information-theoretically secure key exchange between remote parties without any assumptions on the internal workings of the devices used for its implementation. However, its practical deployment remains severely constrained by the need for loophole-free Bell inequality violations, which are highly susceptible to losses and detection efficiencies. In this paper, we propose two long-distance DI-QKD protocols based on a heralding scheme using single-photon interference. Our protocols consist of only standard quantum optics tools such as two-mode squeezed states, displacement operations and on-off detectors, making them experimentally accessible. To further enhance robustness against realistic imperfections, we integrate a classical noisy preprocessing technique during post-processing. We calculate key rates of the protocols by numerical optimization and show the supremacy of this implementation over existing protocols in terms of communication distances.