  In quantum key distribution implementations, each session is typically chosen
long enough so that the secret key rate approaches its asymptotic limit.
However, this choice may be constrained by the physical scenario, as in the
perspective use with satellites, where the passage of one terminal over the
other is restricted to a few minutes. Here we demonstrate experimentally the
extraction of secure keys leveraging an optimal design of the
prepare-and-measure scheme, according to recent finite-key theoretical
tight-bounds. The experiment is performed in different channel conditions, and
assuming two distinct attack models: individual attacks, or general quantum
attacks. The request on the number of exchanged qubits is then obtained as a
function of the key size and of the ambient quantum bit error rate. The results
indicate that viable conditions for effective symmetric, and even one-time-pad,
cryptography are achievable.
