Abstract
Quantum key distribution (QKD) promises theoretically secure communication. However, it encounters challenges in implementation security and performance due to inevitable device imperfections. Since the proposal of measurement-device-independent (MDI) QKD, the critical step toward practical security is to secure QKD with imperfect sources. The source imperfections manifest as state-preparation uncertainty (SPU) in various aspects, e.g., encoding uncertainty, intensity fluctuation, and imperfect vacuum states. Here, we perform an MDI-QKD experiment and achieve both high practical security and superior performance. We address the general form of SPU and guarantee a tight estimation of the secret key rate based on the operator dominance method. We achieve secure key distribution over 303.37 km, which not only represents the farthest distance in experiments involving SPU but also considers the most SPU scenarios. Our experimental results represent a significant step toward promoting practical and secure quantum communication.
Keywords
Subject
Publication details
- DOI
- 10.1140/epjqt/s40507-025-00408-4
- Journal
- Not available
- Open access
- Green open access
Cite this article
APA 7
Lu, Y., Zhou, Y. Y., Wang, Y., Zhou, Y., Jiang, X. L., Li, X. H., Wang, H. T., Zhao, Y. M., Li, J. J., Zhou, C., Li, H. W., Zhou, L. J., & Bao, W. S. (2026). Experimental Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key distribution with Flawed State-Preparation over 300 km. https://doi.org/10.1140/epjqt/s40507-025-00408-4
MLA 9
Lu, Yifei, et al. "Experimental Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key distribution with Flawed State-Preparation over 300 km." https://doi.org/10.1140/epjqt/s40507-025-00408-4.
Chicago (author–date)
Lu, Yifei, Yan-Yang Zhou, Yang Wang, Yu Zhou, Xiao-Lei Jiang, Xin-Hang Li, Hai-Tao Wang, Yan-Mei Zhao, Jia-Ji Li, Chun Zhou, Hong-Wei Li, Lin-Jie Zhou, and Wan-Su Bao. 2026. "Experimental Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key distribution with Flawed State-Preparation over 300 km." https://doi.org/10.1140/epjqt/s40507-025-00408-4.
Harvard
Lu, Y., Zhou, Y. Y., Wang, Y., Zhou, Y., Jiang, X. L., Li, X. H., Wang, H. T., Zhao, Y. M., Li, J. J., Zhou, C., Li, H. W., Zhou, L. J. and Bao, W. S. (2026) 'Experimental Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key distribution with Flawed State-Preparation over 300 km', doi:10.1140/epjqt/s40507-025-00408-4.
Vancouver
Lu Y, Zhou YY, Wang Y, Zhou Y, Jiang XL, Li XH, et al. Experimental Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key distribution with Flawed State-Preparation over 300 km. doi:10.1140/epjqt/s40507-025-00408-4
IEEE
Y. Lu, Y. Y. Zhou, Y. Wang, Y. Zhou, X. L. Jiang, X. H. Li, H. T. Wang, Y. M. Zhao, J. J. Li, C. Zhou, H. W. Li, L. J. Zhou, and W. S. Bao, "Experimental Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key distribution with Flawed State-Preparation over 300 km," doi: 10.1140/epjqt/s40507-025-00408-4.