Multi-photon quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols can use non-ideal photon emitters and yet stay secure. As a result, they are advantageous over other single photon prepare and measure QKD schemes. However, their effectiveness has not yet been evaluated in different network topologies. In this paper, we compare the achievable key rates and transmission distances of the three-stage multi-photon QKD protocol to the commonly implemented decoy state and E91 protocols in different network topologies. We also describe the security implications of each protocol especially in relation to a photon number splitting attack against multi-photon sources. Our simulations offer insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each protocol and various trade-offs when using these QKD protocols in different network topologies.
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