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arXiv:0705.0158 · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE

Thermal noise informatics: totally secure communication via a wire, zero-power communication, and thermal noise driven computing

Laszlo B. Kish, Robert Mingesz, Zoltán Gingl

Published Jun 7, 2007• 6 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Very recently, it has been shown that Gaussian thermal noise and its artificial versions (Johnson-like noises) can be utilized as an information carrier with peculiar properties therefore it may be proper to call this topic Thermal Noise Informatics. Zero Power (Stealth) Communication, Thermal Noise Driven Computing, and Totally Secure Classical Communication are relevant examples. In this paper, while we will briefly describe the first and the second subjects, we shall focus on the third subject, the secure classical communication via wire. This way of secure telecommunication utilizes the properties of Johnson(-like) noise and those of a simple Kirchhoff's loop. The communicator is unconditionally secure at the conceptual (circuit theoretical) level and this property is (so far) unique in communication systems based on classical physics. The communicator is superior to quantum alternatives in all known aspects, except the need of using a wire. In the idealized system, the eavesdropper can extract zero bit of information without getting uncovered. The scheme is naturally protected against the man-in-the-middle attack. The communication can take place also via currently used power lines or phone (wire) lines and it is not only a point-to-point communication like quantum channels but network-ready. We report that a pair of Kirchhoff-Loop-Johnson(-like)-Noise communicators, which is able to work over variable ranges, was designed and built. Tests have been carried out on a model-line with ranges beyond the ranges of any known direct quantum communication channel and they indicate unrivalled signal fidelity and security performance. This simple device has single-wire secure key generation/sharing rates of 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 bit/second for copper wires with diameters/ranges of 21 mm / 2000 km, 7 mm / 200 km, 2.3 mm / 20 km, and 0.7 mm / 2 km, respectively and it performs with 0.02% raw-bit error rate (99.98 % fidelity). The raw-bit security of this practical system significantly outperforms raw-bit quantum security. Current injection breaking tests show zero bit eavesdropping ability without setting on the alarm signal, therefore no multiple measurements are needed to build an error statistics to detect the eavesdropping as in quantum communication. Wire resistance based breaking tests of Bergou-Scheuer-Yariv type give an upper limit of eavesdropped raw bit ratio is 0.19 % and this limit is inversely proportional to the sixth power of cable diameter. Hao's breaking method yields zero (below measurement resolution) eavesdropping information.

DOI
10.1117/12.727078

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arXiv:physics/0508135•Applied Physics Letters•Dec 1, 2005•68 citations
Very recently, it has been shown that Gaussian thermal noise and its artificial versions (Johnson-like noises) can be utilized as an information carrier with peculiar properties therefore it may be proper to call this topic Thermal Noise Informatics. Zero Power (Stealth) Communication, Thermal Noise Driven Computing, and Totally Secure Classical Communication are relevant examples. In this paper, while we will briefly describe the first and the second subjects, we shall focus on the third subject, the secure classical communication via wire. This way of secure telecommunication utilizes the properties of Johnson(-like) noise and those of a simple Kirchhoff's loop. The communicator is unconditionally secure at the conceptual (circuit theoretical) level and this property is (so far) unique in communication systems based on classical physics. The communicator is superior to quantum alternatives in all known aspects, except the need of using a wire. In the idealized system, the eavesdropper can extract zero bit of information without getting uncovered. The scheme is naturally protected against the man-in-the-middle attack. The communication can take place also via currently used power lines or phone (wire) lines and it is not only a point-to-point communication like quantum channels but network-ready. We report that a pair of Kirchhoff-Loop-Johnson(-like)-Noise communicators, which is able to work over variable ranges, was designed and built. Tests have been carried out on a model-line with ranges beyond the ranges of any known direct quantum communication channel and they indicate unrivalled signal fidelity and security performance. This simple device has single-wire secure key generation/sharing rates of 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 bit/second for copper wires with diameters/ranges of 21 mm / 2000 km, 7 mm / 200 km, 2.3 mm / 20 km, and 0.7 mm / 2 km, respectively and it performs with 0.02% raw-bit error rate (99.98 % fidelity). The raw-bit security of this practical system significantly outperforms raw-bit quantum security. Current injection breaking tests show zero bit eavesdropping ability without setting on the alarm signal, therefore no multiple measurements are needed to build an error statistics to detect the eavesdropping as in quantum communication. Wire resistance based breaking tests of Bergou-Scheuer-Yariv type give an upper limit of eavesdropped raw bit ratio is 0.19 % and this limit is inversely proportional to the sixth power of cable diameter. Hao's breaking method yields zero (below measurement resolution) eavesdropping information.
We discuss the speed-error-heat triangle and related problems with rapidly increasing energy dissipation and error rate during miniaturization. These and the independently growing need of unconditional data security have provoked non-conventional approaches in the physics of informatics. Noise-based informatics is a potentially promising possibility which is the way how biological brains process the information. Recently, it has been shown that thermal noise and its electronically enhanced versions (Johnson-like noises) can be utilized as information carrier with peculiar properties. Relevant examples are Zero power (stealth) communication, Unconditionally secure communication with Johnson(-like) noise and Kirchhoff loop and Noise-driven computing. The zero power communication utilizes the equilibrium background noise in the channel to transfer information. The unconditionally secure communication is based on the properties of Johnson(-like) noise and those of a simple Kirchhoff's loop. The scheme utilizes on the robustness of classical information and the second law of thermodynamics. It uncovers active eavesdropping within a single clock period (no error statistics is required) and it is naturally protected against the man-in-the-middle attack. Further advantages of the scheme is that the circuitry can easily be integrated on computer chips, unconditionally secure computer processors, memories and other hardware can be realized.
Recently, it has been shown that excess noises generated or modified by chemical agents can be used to detect and identify chemicals with enhanced sensitivity and selectivity. Moreover thermal noise and its artificial versions (Johnson‐like noises) can be utilized as information carriers with peculiar properties. The first application is called Fluctuation‐Enhanced Sensing. The second class can be called Thermal Noise Informatics with relevant topics are Zero Power Classical Communication and (in the quantum limit) Zero‐Quantum Quantum Communication; Thermal Noise Driven Computing; and Totally Secure Classical Communication. In the paper version of this talk, we will briefly describe the scope of these fields and in the oral talk we also provide extended considerations and results.
First, we show a new inexpensive defense against intruders and the man-in-the-middle attack in the Kirchhoff's-loop-Johnson-like-noise (KLJN) cipher. Then instead of point-to-point communication, we propose a high efficiency, secure network. The (in the idealistic case totally secure) classical network is based on an improved version of the KLJN cipher. The network consists of two parallel networks: i) a chain-like network of securely communicating, electrically isolated Kirchhoff-loops with Johnson-like noise and driven by a specific switching process of the resistances; ii) and a regular non-secure data network with a Coordinator-server. If the classical network is fast enough, the chain-like network of N communicators can generate and share an N bit long secret key within a single clock period of the ciphers and that implies a significant speed-up compared to the point-to-point key exchanges used by quantum communication or RSA-like key exchange methods. This is a teleportation-type multiple telecloning of the classical information bit because the information transfer can take place without the actual presence of the information bit at the intermediate points of the network. At the point of the telecloning, the clone is created by the product of a bit coming from the regular network and a secure bit from the local KLJN ciphers. The same idea could be implemented with quantum communicator pairs producing entangled secure bit at the two ends. This is the telecloning of classical bits via quantum communicator networks without telecloning the quantum states.
First, we show a new inexpensive defense against intruders and the man-in-the-middle attack in the Kirchhoff's-loop-Johnson-like-noise (KLJN) cipher. Then instead of point-to-point communication, we propose a high efficiency, secure network. The (in the idealistic case totally secure) classical network is based on an improved version of the KLJN cipher. The network consists of two parallel networks: i) a chain-like network of securely communicating, electrically isolated Kirchhoff-loops with Johnson-like noise and driven by a specific switching process of the resistances; ii) and a regular non-secure data network with a Coordinator-server. If the classical network is fast enough, each communicator in the network can teleclone the single bits from all the other communicators within a single clock period, with 100% fidelity. The chain-like network of N communicators can generate and share an N bit long secret key within a single clock period of the ciphers and that implies a significant speed-up compared to point-to-point key exchanges used by quantum communication or RSA-like key exchange methods. This is a teleportation-type multiple telecloning of the classical information bit because the information transfer can take place without the actual presence of the information bit at the intermediate points of the network.
In a forthcoming paper in IEE Proceedings Information Security, Feng Hao claims that temperature inaccuracies make the key exchange scheme based on Kirchhoff Loop with Johnson-like Noise insecure. First we point out that this claim is irrelevant for the security of the idealized/mathematical communicator because it violates basic assumptions. Furthermore, in general practical applications, as it has been pointed out in the very first paper, the use of thermal noise is disadvantageous therefore the issue of temperature and its accuracy is unimportant even for the security of common practical realizations. It is important to emphasize that any deviation from the idealized scheme can lead to a finite level of security. Thus, if the above-mentioned author had stressed the inaccuracy of the resistor values; his claim would have been practically valid. However the impact of such systematic errors can be kept under control. Here we cite our relevant analysis (Phys. Lett. A359, (2006) 741-744) of 1% voltage inaccuracy along the line due to wire resistance effects, which can be considered as a general result for inaccuracies of this order. The necessity to build a statistics to extract information during the properly chosen clock time leads to extremely poor eavesdropper statistics and this situation provides a good practical raw bit security that can be orders of magnitude beyond the raw bit security of idealized quantum communicators.
An alternative physical way of communication, communication by the inherent background noise, is proposed which does not need net energy transfer in the information channel. The communicator devices do dissipate energy; however, they do not emit net energy into the channel, instead of that, they modulate the parameters of inherent spontaneous fluctuations in the channel. The method can use two different mechanisms, thermal noise (Johnson–Nyquist noise) for classical communication, and vacuum fluctuations/zero-point energy (quantum uncertainty noise) for quantum communication. The strongest advantage of the method is that it is apparently the most hidden (stealth) way of communication, because it is using the inherent background noise for communication. Therefore, it is extremely difficult or impossible to discover its presence. With proper wave-based arrangements and specific conditions, the sender and the receiver can easily detect eavesdropper activities, so that the eavesdropper is detected as soon as she extracts a single bit of information, thus the security of the method is comparable to the security of quantum communication/quantum key distribution schemes. Finally, concerning practical applications, environmental noise, out of the fundamental/inherent fluctuations, can also be used for this kind of communication provided that is sufficiently stationary.