NIST researchers have developed a new quantum key distribution (QKD) method that significantly reduces the number of detectors required, cutting costs while maintaining high-speed data transmission. The new method, which works with both BB84 and B92 protocols, uses optical components to rotate photon polarization and separate time bins, allowing one detector to handle both horizontal/vertical and diagonal polarized photons. This reduces the number of detectors needed from four to one in BB84 and from two to one in B92. The new design maintains security by avoiding issues like dead time and performance differences between detectors, making it practical for real-world quantum encryption applications.
Keywords: Quantum, Cryptography, Detection, Photon, Security
