Cryptographic protocol, execution example

Is there an easy (or even hard) way to draw an execution example of a cryptographic protocol? I'm trying to write about BB84 in my master's thesis, i'm looking for something like this:

or this:

I think the best way can be to use tables, but I'm really struggling. Thanks in advance!

Edit 1: As always, I forgot to put some code. Sorry!

\begin{tabular}{ |p{4cm} |p{1cm}|p{1cm}|p{1cm}||p{1cm}|  }
\hline
& 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 \\
\hline
\textbf{(1)} Alice's bitstring & 0 & 1 & 1 & 0   \\
\textbf{(1)} Alice's bases & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0   \\
\textbf{(2)} Qubits sent & $\ket{+}$ & $\ket{-}$ & $\ket{1}$ & $\ket{0}$   \\
\textbf{(3)} Bob's bases & 1 & 0 & 1 & 0\\
\textbf{(3)} Bob's measuring results & \textbf{0} & 0 & 1 & \textbf{0}\\
\hline
\end{tabular}


The main problems are the last two rows.

• Please add what you have tried so far and make your question more specific. The only thing not possible with normal tables are the boxes in the last two rows. Are you looking for a way to do that?
– marv
Jan 16 at 14:47
• As always I forgot the code, added with an edit. Furthermore, you are right, the problems are the last two rows together with a formal way to represent the whole. Jan 16 at 15:06

Maybe like this:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[dvipsnames]{xcolor}
\usepackage{tikz, array, booktabs, amsmath, amssymb}
\usetikzlibrary{arrows.meta, calc}

\tikzset{tinyarrs/.style={
x=.5em, y=.5em, baseline=-.333em,
every path/.style={arrows={Latex[length=2pt, width=2pt]-Latex[length=2pt, width=2pt]}}
}}

\newcommand{\nsArrow}{\tikz[tinyarrs]{
\path(0:0)circle(1);
\draw(90:-1)--(90:1);
}}
\newcommand{\ewArrow}{\tikz[tinyarrs]{
\path(0:0)circle(1);
\draw(0:-1)--(0:1);
}}
\newcommand{\nsewArrow}{\tikz[tinyarrs]{
\path(0:0)circle(1);
\draw(90:-1)--(90:1);
\draw(0:-1)--(0:1);
}}
\newcommand{\acArrow}{\tikz[tinyarrs]{
\path(0:0)circle(1);
\draw(45:-1)--(45:1);
}}
\newcommand{\bdArrow}{\tikz[tinyarrs]{
\path(0:0)circle(1);
\draw(135:-1)--(135:1);
}}
\newcommand{\acbdArrow}{\tikz[tinyarrs]{
\path(0:0)circle(1);
\draw(45:-1)--(45:1);
\draw(135:-1)--(135:1);
}}

\newcommand{\drawtabbox}[1][black]{%
\tikz[overlay, remember picture]{
\draw[#1]([shift={(-.5em,1em)}]0,0) rectangle ++({width("0")*1pt+1em},-2.66em);
}%
}

\newcommand{\isit}{\overset{{\color{purple}?}}{=}}

\begin{document}

\begin{tabular}{ m{35pt} c c c c c c c }

\toprule

$k$ &
\textcolor{lightgray}{$0$} &
\textcolor{darkgray}{$1$} &
\textcolor{darkgray}{$1$} &
\textcolor{darkgray}{$1$} &
\textcolor{lightgray}{$0$} &
\textcolor{lightgray}{$0$} &
\textcolor{darkgray}{$1$} \\

\midrule

$b$ &
\textcolor{LimeGreen!50!PineGreen}{$1_{\scriptsize\acbdArrow}$} &
\textcolor{LimeGreen!50!PineGreen}{$1_{\scriptsize\acbdArrow}$} &
\textcolor{CornflowerBlue!50!RoyalBlue}{$0_{\scriptsize\nsewArrow}$} &
\textcolor{LimeGreen!50!PineGreen}{$1_{\scriptsize\acbdArrow}$} &
\textcolor{CornflowerBlue!50!RoyalBlue}{$0_{\scriptsize\nsewArrow}$} &
\textcolor{CornflowerBlue!50!RoyalBlue}{$0_{\scriptsize\nsewArrow}$} &
\textcolor{CornflowerBlue!50!RoyalBlue}{$0_{\scriptsize\nsewArrow}$} \\

\scriptsize Alice \newline prepares &
\textcolor{LimeGreen}{\acArrow} &
\textcolor{PineGreen}{\bdArrow} &
\textcolor{RoyalBlue}{\nsArrow} &
\textcolor{PineGreen}{\bdArrow} &
\textcolor{CornflowerBlue}{\ewArrow} &
\textcolor{CornflowerBlue}{\ewArrow} &
\textcolor{RoyalBlue}{\nsArrow} \\

$q$ &
\textcolor{LimeGreen}{$|+\rangle$} &
\textcolor{PineGreen}{$|-\rangle$} &
\textcolor{RoyalBlue}{$|1\rangle$} &
\textcolor{PineGreen}{$|-\rangle$} &
\textcolor{CornflowerBlue}{$|0\rangle$} &
\textcolor{CornflowerBlue}{$|0\rangle$} &
\textcolor{RoyalBlue}{$|1\rangle$} \\

\midrule

$\tilde{b}$ &
\textcolor{LimeGreen!50!PineGreen}{$1_{\scriptsize\acbdArrow}$} &
\textcolor{CornflowerBlue!50!RoyalBlue}{$0_{\scriptsize\nsewArrow}$} &
\textcolor{CornflowerBlue!50!RoyalBlue}{$0_{\scriptsize\nsewArrow}$} &
\textcolor{LimeGreen!50!PineGreen}{$1_{\scriptsize\acbdArrow}$} &
\textcolor{LimeGreen!50!PineGreen}{$1_{\scriptsize\acbdArrow}$} &
\textcolor{CornflowerBlue!50!RoyalBlue}{$0_{\scriptsize\nsewArrow}$} &
\textcolor{LimeGreen!50!PineGreen}{$1_{\scriptsize\acbdArrow}$} \\

\scriptsize Bob \newline measures &
\textcolor{LimeGreen}{\acArrow} &
\textcolor{CornflowerBlue}{\ewArrow} &
\textcolor{RoyalBlue}{\nsArrow} &
\textcolor{PineGreen}{\bdArrow} &
\textcolor{LimeGreen}{\acArrow} &
\textcolor{CornflowerBlue}{\ewArrow} &
\textcolor{LimeGreen}{\acArrow} \\

$\tilde{q}$ &
\textcolor{LimeGreen}{$|+\rangle$} &
\textcolor{CornflowerBlue}{$|0\rangle$} &
\textcolor{RoyalBlue}{$|1\rangle$} &
\textcolor{PineGreen}{$|-\rangle$} &
\textcolor{LimeGreen}{$|+\rangle$} &
\textcolor{CornflowerBlue}{$|0\rangle$} &
\textcolor{LimeGreen}{$|+\rangle$} \\

\midrule

$\tilde{k}$ &
\drawtabbox[purple]\textcolor{lightgray}{$0$} &
\textcolor{lightgray}{$0$} &
\drawtabbox[purple]\textcolor{darkgray}{$1$} &
\drawtabbox[purple]\textcolor{darkgray}{$1$} &
\textcolor{lightgray}{$0$} &
\drawtabbox[purple]\textcolor{lightgray}{$0$} &
\textcolor{lightgray}{$0$} \\

$b \isit \tilde{b}$ &
\textcolor{purple}{\checkmark} &
\textcolor{purple}{--} &
\textcolor{purple}{\checkmark} &
\textcolor{purple}{\checkmark} &
\textcolor{purple}{--} &
\textcolor{purple}{\checkmark} &
\textcolor{purple}{--} \\

\bottomrule

\end{tabular}

\end{document}


• Absolutely fantastic. Thank you! Jan 17 at 9:59