Structured codes improve the Bennett-Brassard-84 quantum key rate

A central goal in information theory and cryptography is finding simple characterizations of optimal communication rates under various restrictions and security requirements. Ideally, the optimal key rate for a quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol would be given by a single-letter formula involving optimization over a single use of an effective channel. We explore the possibility of such a formula for the simplest and most widely used QKD protocol, Bennnett-Brassard-84 with one-way classical postprocessing. We show that a conjectured single-letter formula is false, uncovering a deep ignorance about good private codes and exposing unfortunate complications in the theory of QKD. These complications are not without benefit-with added complexity comes better key rates than previously thought possible. The threshold for secure key generation improves from a bit error rate of 0.124 to 0.129. © 2008 The American Physical Society.