AWEM-QKD

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocols offer theoretical unbreakability through quantum mechanical principles, but practical implementations face significant challenges including high quantum bit error rates (QBER), channel noise sensitivity, and vulnerability to sophisticated eavesdropping attacks. This paper presents AWEM-QKD (Adaptive Windowed Error Management - Quantum Key Distribution), a novel protocol that integrates three innovative quantum logic circuits: Quantum Adaptive Hadamard (QAH), Quantum Conditional Entanglement Logic (QCEL), and Adaptive Measurement Validation Logic (AMVL). The protocol dynamically adapts to channel conditions through real-time QBER analysis and implements windowed error mitigation strategies. Comprehensive implementation using IBM Qiskit with realistic noise models demonstrates 100% success rate across multiple simulation runs, achieving QBER tolerance up to 15.7% (compared to BB84's 11% limit), consistent Bell inequality violations (S-values > 2.44), and generation of 256-bit secure keys. The system successfully detected all simulated eavesdropping attempts while maintaining high entropy values (>0.876) across all test scenarios. Performance analysis shows 30% reduction in quantum gate operations and enhanced resilience against quantum attacks, making AWEM-QKD suitable for practical deployment in defense, financial, and IoT security applications.