We propose a QKD protocol for trusted node relays. Our protocol shifts the communication and computational weight of classical postprocessing to the end users by reassigning the roles of error correction and privacy amplification, while leaving the exchange of quantum signals untouched. We perform a security analysis for this protocol based on the Bennett-Brassard 1984 protocol on the level of infinite key formulas, taking into account weak coherent implementations involving decoy analysis.
We propose a QKD protocol for trusted node relays. Our protocol shifts the communication and computational weight of classical postprocessing to the end users by reassigning the roles of error correction and privacy amplification, while leaving the exchange of quantum signals untouched. We perform a security analysis for this protocol based on the Bennett-Brassard 1984 protocol on the level of infinite key formulas, taking into account weak coherent implementations involving decoy analysis.
This thesis examines the security of performing quantum key distribution (QKD) with a simplified trusted relay (STR). The protocol carries out the quantum phase of a conventional trusted relay, however, reduces the required complexity of the nodes by carrying out an altered classical phase. Rather than announcing the parity of the final keys, the simplified trusted relay announces the parity of the keys before error correction and privacy amplification. As a result, the majority of the post-processing is left to the end users. \n \nSpecifically, we examine the security of an STR protocol which carries out the quantum phase of the BB84 protocol. Through two different methods, we derive qubit key rates. For the first method, we require that the basis choice is equally weighted. Furthermore, we limit the relay to a single node. This proof has the benefit that it easily generalizes to an alternate protocol where a node may generate error correcting information. In the second security proof, we derive a key rate for an arbitrary number of nodes with an arbitrary basis weighting. \n \nWe further extend our analysis to realistic scenarios in which the legitimate parties use weak coherent pulses to transmit signal states over a lossy channel. We provide a framework for generalizing decoy state methods to STR protocols.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols generate a same secret key at two nodes which are at different locations. Such key is used to encrypt and decrypt messages for unconditionally secure communications through a classical channel. Originally, QKD protocols are designed to work between two nodes which are directly connected through a point-to-point quantum channel. Currently, commercial QKD systems have limited range and key rate. To increase key rate and extend range, the key generated by QKD at one end node is relayed hop-by-hop to the other end node through multiple trusted nodes. In a QKD network with multiple pairs of communicating nodes, routing deals with the issue of deciding for each pair, which trusted nodes are used to form a path connecting the end nodes. This paper presents an overview of QKD and highlights the differences between QKD routing as compared to classical routing. The challenges of QKD routing are presented. Existing works dealing with the challenges are surveyed. This paper ends with a discussion on remaining research issues.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocols typically involve two separate steps of error-verification and privacy amplification. Both steps involve the application of a hash function sampled from a suitable hash family to classical data. A potentially simpler alternative is to implement a single-step hashing procedure, announce and compare a fixed number of bits of its output for error-verification, and retain the remaining bits as the final output key. This reduces the complexity of classical postprocessing, the amount of classical communication, and the amount of randomness needed in the protocol. While this construction has appeared in the literature, a suitable mathematical justification is lacking. In this work, we show that the security of such protocols, under certain simple conditions, follows from a slightly modified notion of secrecy of the protocol without the final error-verification step. In particular, we show that for most entropy-based proofs, the combined protocol can be implemented with no change to the key rate, and a minor change to the security parameter.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) enables two distant users to exchange a secret key with information-theoretic security, based on the fundamental laws of quantum physics. While it is arguably the most mature application of quantum cryptography, it has inherent limitations in the achievable distance and the scalability to large-scale infrastructures. While the applicability of QKD can be readily increased with the use of intermediary trusted nodes, this adds additional privacy requirements on third parties. In this work, we present an efficient scheme leveraging a trusted node with lower privacy requirements thanks to the use of post-quantum cryptographic techniques, and implement it on a deployed fiber optic quantum communication network in the Paris area.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) allows the distribution of secret keys for quantum-secure communication between two distant parties, vital in the quantum computing era in order to protect against quantum-enabled attackers. However, overcoming rate-distance limits in QKD and the establishment of quantum key distribution networks necessitate key relaying over trusted nodes. This process may be resource-intensive, consuming a substantial share of the scarce QKD key material to establish end-to-end secret keys. Hence, an efficient scheme for key relaying and the establishment of end-to-end key pools is essential for practical and extended quantum-secured networking. In this paper, we propose and compare two protocols for managing, storing, and distributing secret key material in QKD networks, addressing challenges such as the success rate of key requests, key consumption, and overhead resulting from relaying. We present an innovative, fully decentralized key distribution strategy as an alternative to the traditional hop-by-hop relaying via trusted nodes, where three experiments are considered to evaluate performance metrics under varying key demand. Our results show that the decentralized pre-flooding approach achieves higher success rates as application demands increase. This analysis highlights the strengths of each approach in enhancing QKD network performance, offering valuable insights for developing robust key distribution strategies in different scenarios.
We present a technique for proving the security of quantum-key-distribution (QKD) protocols. It is based on direct information-theoretic arguments and thus also applies if no equivalent entanglement purification scheme can be found. Using this technique, we investigate a general class of QKD protocols with one-way classical post-processing. We show that, in order to analyze the full security of these protocols, it suffices to consider collective attacks. Indeed, we give new lower and upper bounds on the secret-key rate which only involve entropies of two-qubit density operators and which are thus easy to compute. As an illustration of our results, we analyze the Bennett-Brassard 1984, the six-state, and the Bennett 1992 protocols with one-way error correction and privacy amplification. Surprisingly, the performance of these protocols is increased if one of the parties adds noise to the measurement data before the error correction. In particular, this additional noise makes the protocols more robust against noise in the quantum channel.