Enhancing Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) to address quantum hacking

Quantum key distribution (QKD) is intended to produce cryptographic secret keys between two remote parties, usually called Alice and Bob. Even though QKD has been proven to be unconditionally secure against the eavesdropper, commonly called Eve, practical implementations of QKD may contain vulnerabilities that may lead to the generated secret keys being compromised. In order to detect the presence of the eavesdropper in the channel, in our proposal Alice introduces an interleaved sequence of decoy states which produce a characteristic distribution at Bob's station. Thus, in analyzing such distribution in presence and absence of the eavesdropper Eve, her activity in the channel is detected. This protocol doesn’t require changes at the quantum physical level, but it can be incorporated at the high software level.