Quantum key distribution with finite resources: Taking advantage of quantum noise

We compare the effect of different noise scenarios on the achievable rate of an epsilon-secure key for the BB84 and the six-state protocol. We study the situation where quantum noise is added deliberately, and investigate the remarkable benefit for the finite key rate. We compare our results to the known case of added classical noise and the asymptotic key rate, i.e., in the limit of infinitely many signals. As a complementary interpretation, we show that under the realistic assumption that the noise which is unavoidably introduced by a real channel is not fully dedicated to the eavesdropper, the secret key rate increases significantly. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.87.042312