A comprehensive review on the hybrid BB84 E91 QKD protocol for enhanced security efficiency and practical hardware implementation in quantum cryptography

Cryptography is a popular term in this modern world of digital era which has achieved a great focus and interest in the modern inter-connected digital world. There is a lot of productive research underway in such domain of communication so as to make it more secure, because it is the most fundamental technique used in day-to-day life of the common people as well as cyber professionals. Over time, the field of cryptography has experienced various breakthroughs that are being driven by the progress of quantum cryptography. Unsurprisingly, in this digital age of modern times, quantum cryptography is one of the new and efficient means of secure communication. Quantum cryptography syndicates the concepts of quantum physics to project safe channels to achieve secure communication. The calibre of research being done in the realm of quantum cryptography is set to rise amidst an increasingly volatile digital world. This paper discusses the latest trends of quantum cryptography specifically focussing on the quantum cryptography protocols with a significant contribution of recently published essential research papers with quite good productivity. The primary focus in this paper is concerned with the investigation of quantum cryptography protocols on various grounds such as quantum key distribution strategies, quantum distribution protocols and a comprehensive comparison between the past techniques and recent advancements. In light of these cutting-edge developments, a hybrid framework utilizing quantum cryptography protocols is also proposed. This study synthesizes existing findings to offer insights into quantum cryptography protocols, future challenges, and potential applications.