Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2007.05804

Lightweight Quantum Security Protocols

Tzonelih Hwang, Yen-Jie Chen, Chia‐Wei Tsai, Cheng-Ching Kuo

Published Jul 11, 2020• 0 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Inspired by the semi-quantum protocols, this paper defines the lightweight quantum security protocols, in which lightweight participants can only operate two out of four very lightweight quantum operations. Subsequently, this study proposes a Lightweight Mediated Quantum Key Distribution (LMQKD) protocol as an example to disclose the feasibility and advantage of the lightweight quantum protocol. In the proposed protocol, a dishonest third party (TP) with complete quantum capabilities helps two lightweight quantum users establish a secure key. The lightweight quantum users are allowed to perform only: (1) unitary operations and (2) reflecting qubits without disturbance. The proposed protocol has been showed to be robust under the collective attack.

DOI
10.48550/arxiv.2007.05804

Related papers

Semi-Quantum Inspired Lightweight Mediated Quantum Key Distribution with Limited Resource and Untrusted TP

Cheng-Ching Kuo, Tzonelih Hwang

Semi-quantum inspired lightweight protocol is an important research issue in realization of quantum protocols. However, the previous semi-quantum inspired lightweight mediated quantum key distribution (SQIL-MQKD) protocols need to use the Bell states or measure the Bell states. The generation and measurement of Bell states are more difficult and expensive than those of single photons. To solve this problem, a semi-quantum inspired lightweight mediated quantum key distribution with limited resource protocol is proposed. In this protocol, an untrusted third party (TP) only needs to perform the quantum operations related to single photons and the participants only have to perform two quantum operations: (1) reflecting qubits without disturbance (2) performing unitary operations on single photons. In addition, this protocol is showed to be robust under the collective attack.

arXiv:2103.10119•Mar 18, 2021•0 citations

An efficient lightweight mediated semi-quantum key distribution with single-particle states

Yihua Zhou, Xiang-Rui Li, Yu‐Guang Yang +1 more

Abstract In this paper, we propose an efficient lightweight mediated semi-quantum key distribution (LM-SQKD) protocol, which enables two lightweight participants to securely establish a shared key with the help of an untrusted third party (TP). Compared with existing M-SQKD protocols, our protocol significantly reduces the overall quantum burden and improves the qubit efficiency, where TP only needs to prepare and measure qubits in the X basis and two lightweight participants are just required to execute three unitary operations and reflect qubits. Furthermore, the detailed security analysis verifies that the proposed protocol can against three well-known attacks.

Physica Scripta•Jun 2, 2025•3 citations

Lightweight mediated semi-quantum key distribution protocol with a dishonest third party based on Bell states

Chia‐Wei Tsai, Chun‐Wei Yang

The mediated semi-quantum key distribution (MSQKD) protocol is an important research issue that lets two classical participants share secret keys securely between each other with the help of a third party (TP). However, in the existing MSQKD protocols, there are two improvable issues, namely (1) the classical participants must be equipped with expensive detectors to avoid Trojan horse attacks and (2) the trustworthiness level of TP must be honest. To the best of our knowledge, none of the existing MSQKD protocols can resolve both these issues. Therefore, this study takes Bell states as the quantum resource to propose a MSQKD protocol, in which the classical participants do not need a Trojan horse detector and the TP is dishonest. Furthermore, the proposed protocol is shown to be secure against well-known attacks and the classical participants only need two quantum capabilities. Therefore, in comparison to the existing MSQKD protocols, the proposed protocol is better practical.

arXiv:1909.02788•Scientific Reports•Dec 1, 2021•35 citations

Lightweight mediated semi-quantum key distribution protocol

Chia‐Wei Tsai, Chun‐Wei Yang, Narn-Yih Lee

Classical users can share a secret key with a quantum user by using a semi-quantum key distribution (SQKD) protocol. Allowing two classical users to share a secret key is the objective of the mediated semi-quantum key distribution (MSQKD) protocol. However, the existing MSQKD protocols need a quantum user to assist two classical users in distributing the secret keys, and these protocols require that the classical users be equipped with a Trojan horse photon detector. This reduces the practicability of the MSQKD protocols. Therefore, in this study we propose a lightweight MSQKD, in which the two participants and third party are classical users. Due to the usage of the one-way transmission strategy, the proposed lightweight MSQKD protocol is free from quantum Trojan horse attack. The proposed MSQKD is more practical than the existing MSQKD protocols.

Modern Physics Letters A•Aug 7, 2019•29 citations

A Three‐Party Lightweight Quantum Key Distribution Protocol in a Restricted Quantum Environment

Mustapha Anis Younes, Sofia Zebboudj, Abdelhakim Gharbi

ABSTRACT This study proposes a new lightweight quantum key distribution (LQKD) protocol based on the four‐particle cluster state within a quantum‐restricted environment. The protocol enables a quantum‐capable user to simultaneously establish two separate secret keys with two “classical” users, who are limited to performing only the Hadamard operation and measurements in the basis. By adopting a one‐way qubit transmission approach, the proposed protocol addresses several limitations of existing semi‐quantum key distribution (SQKD) schemes that rely on two‐way or circular transmission methods: (1) it eliminates the need for classical participants to be equipped with costly quantum devices to defend against quantum Trojan horse attacks; (2) it reduces the qubit transmission distance; and (3) it achieves higher qubit efficiency. Consequently, the proposed LQKD protocol is both more lightweight and practical than existing SQKD protocols. Furthermore, the security analysis shows that, in the ideal case, the protocol achieves the same level of security as fully quantum protocols. Finally, the study proves the unconditional security of the protocol in the non‐ideal case, demonstrating a noise tolerance close to that of the BB84 protocol.

arXiv:2507.11188•Annalen der Physik•Mar 1, 2026•1 citation

Mediated semi-quantum key distribution in randomization-based environment

Yen Jie Chen, Tzonelih Hwang, Chia‐Wei Tsai

This paper proposes the first mediated semi-quantum key distribution in randomization-based environment with an untrusted third party(TP) who has the complete quantum capabilities to help two classical users to establish a secure key. The entanglement swapping between the collapsed qubits of Bell states and the Bell states is used to facilitate the design of the RSQKD protocol.

arXiv:2010.04441•Oct 9, 2020•1 citation
Inspired by the semi-quantum protocols, this paper defines the lightweight quantum security protocols, in which lightweight participants can only operate two out of four very lightweight quantum operations. Subsequently, this study proposes a Lightweight Mediated Quantum Key Distribution (LMQKD) protocol as an example to disclose the feasibility and advantage of the lightweight quantum protocol. In the proposed protocol, a dishonest third party (TP) with complete quantum capabilities helps two lightweight quantum users establish a secure key. The lightweight quantum users are allowed to perform only: (1) unitary operations and (2) reflecting qubits without disturbance. The proposed protocol has been showed to be robust under the collective attack.
Semi-quantum inspired lightweight protocol is an important research issue in realization of quantum protocols. However, the previous semi-quantum inspired lightweight mediated quantum key distribution (SQIL-MQKD) protocols need to use the Bell states or measure the Bell states. The generation and measurement of Bell states are more difficult and expensive than those of single photons. To solve this problem, a semi-quantum inspired lightweight mediated quantum key distribution with limited resource protocol is proposed. In this protocol, an untrusted third party (TP) only needs to perform the quantum operations related to single photons and the participants only have to perform two quantum operations: (1) reflecting qubits without disturbance (2) performing unitary operations on single photons. In addition, this protocol is showed to be robust under the collective attack.
Abstract In this paper, we propose an efficient lightweight mediated semi-quantum key distribution (LM-SQKD) protocol, which enables two lightweight participants to securely establish a shared key with the help of an untrusted third party (TP). Compared with existing M-SQKD protocols, our protocol significantly reduces the overall quantum burden and improves the qubit efficiency, where TP only needs to prepare and measure qubits in the X basis and two lightweight participants are just required to execute three unitary operations and reflect qubits. Furthermore, the detailed security analysis verifies that the proposed protocol can against three well-known attacks.
The mediated semi-quantum key distribution (MSQKD) protocol is an important research issue that lets two classical participants share secret keys securely between each other with the help of a third party (TP). However, in the existing MSQKD protocols, there are two improvable issues, namely (1) the classical participants must be equipped with expensive detectors to avoid Trojan horse attacks and (2) the trustworthiness level of TP must be honest. To the best of our knowledge, none of the existing MSQKD protocols can resolve both these issues. Therefore, this study takes Bell states as the quantum resource to propose a MSQKD protocol, in which the classical participants do not need a Trojan horse detector and the TP is dishonest. Furthermore, the proposed protocol is shown to be secure against well-known attacks and the classical participants only need two quantum capabilities. Therefore, in comparison to the existing MSQKD protocols, the proposed protocol is better practical.
Classical users can share a secret key with a quantum user by using a semi-quantum key distribution (SQKD) protocol. Allowing two classical users to share a secret key is the objective of the mediated semi-quantum key distribution (MSQKD) protocol. However, the existing MSQKD protocols need a quantum user to assist two classical users in distributing the secret keys, and these protocols require that the classical users be equipped with a Trojan horse photon detector. This reduces the practicability of the MSQKD protocols. Therefore, in this study we propose a lightweight MSQKD, in which the two participants and third party are classical users. Due to the usage of the one-way transmission strategy, the proposed lightweight MSQKD protocol is free from quantum Trojan horse attack. The proposed MSQKD is more practical than the existing MSQKD protocols.
ABSTRACT This study proposes a new lightweight quantum key distribution (LQKD) protocol based on the four‐particle cluster state within a quantum‐restricted environment. The protocol enables a quantum‐capable user to simultaneously establish two separate secret keys with two “classical” users, who are limited to performing only the Hadamard operation and measurements in the basis. By adopting a one‐way qubit transmission approach, the proposed protocol addresses several limitations of existing semi‐quantum key distribution (SQKD) schemes that rely on two‐way or circular transmission methods: (1) it eliminates the need for classical participants to be equipped with costly quantum devices to defend against quantum Trojan horse attacks; (2) it reduces the qubit transmission distance; and (3) it achieves higher qubit efficiency. Consequently, the proposed LQKD protocol is both more lightweight and practical than existing SQKD protocols. Furthermore, the security analysis shows that, in the ideal case, the protocol achieves the same level of security as fully quantum protocols. Finally, the study proves the unconditional security of the protocol in the non‐ideal case, demonstrating a noise tolerance close to that of the BB84 protocol.