Generalized PPM-based BB84 QKD protocol

In this paper, we consider quantum key distribution (QKD) using pulse-position modulation (PPM) and propose the PPM-based BB84 QKD protocol. With the adoption of PPM, the efficiency of utilizing weak laser pulses can be improved and hence the key rate. We first analyse the potential of using PPM from the perspective of raw key rate. We then provide detailed description of the proposed protocol, the encoding rule of which has to be specifically designed in order to be secure. Lastly, we consider the intercept-resend and photon-number splitting attacks and analyse the secret key rate of the proposed QKD protocol. Our analysis shows that in high-loss channel, the proposed PPM-based BB84 protocol can achieve higher secret key rates compared to the conventional BB84 protocol.