Easily Implemented Rate Compatible Reconciliation Protocol for Quantum Key Distribution

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simple, efficient, and adaptable reconciliation protocol for Quantum Key Distribution using LDPC codes, which improves implementation ease, reduces memory use, and speeds up decoding in noisy channels.

Contribution

The paper proposes a novel rate compatible reconciliation scheme based on RCEV LDPC codes that adaptively adjusts to changing error rates in QKD, simplifying implementation and enhancing efficiency.

Findings

Achieves higher reconciliation efficiency compared to existing schemes.

Reduces memory usage significantly due to inherent code structure.

Speeds up decoding process through simplified decoder architecture.

Abstract

Reconciliation is an important step to correct errors in Quantum Key Distribution (QKD). In QKD, after comparing basis, two legitimate parties possess two correlative keys which have some differences and they could obtain identical keys through reconciliation. In this paper, we present a new rate compatible reconciliation scheme based on Row Combining with Edge Variation (RCEV) Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) codes which could change code rate adaptively in noisy channel where error rate may change with time. Our scheme is easy to implement and could get good efficiency compared to existing schemes. Meanwhile, due to the inherent structure we use, the new scheme not only saves memory space remarkably but also simplifies the decoder architecture and accelerates the decoding.