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arXiv:2404.02780 · Entropy

One-Photon-Interference Quantum Secure Direct Communication

Xiangjie Li, Min Wang, Xing-Bo Pan, Yun-Rong Zhang, Gui‐Lu Long

Published Sep 23, 2024• 8 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) is a quantum communication paradigm that transmits confidential messages directly using quantum states. Measurement-device-independent (MDI) QSDC protocols can eliminate the security loopholes associated with measurement devices. To enhance the practicality and performance of MDI-QSDC protocols, we propose a one-photon-interference MDI QSDC (OPI-QSDC) protocol which transcends the need for quantum memory, ideal single-photon sources, or entangled light sources. The security of our OPI-QSDC protocol has also been analyzed using quantum wiretap channel theory. Furthermore, our protocol could double the distance of usual prepare-and-measure protocols, since quantum states sending from adjacent nodes are connected with single-photon interference, which demonstrates its potential to extend the communication distance for point-to-point QSDC.

DOI
10.3390/e26090811

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Quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) is a quantum communication paradigm that transmits confidential messages directly using quantum states. Measurement-device-independent (MDI) QSDC protocols can eliminate the security loopholes associated with measurement devices. To enhance the practicality and performance of MDI-QSDC protocols, we propose a one-photon-interference MDI QSDC (OPI-QSDC) protocol which transcends the need for quantum memory, ideal single-photon sources, or entangled light sources. The security of our OPI-QSDC protocol has also been analyzed using quantum wiretap channel theory. Furthermore, our protocol could double the distance of usual prepare-and-measure protocols, since quantum states sending from adjacent nodes are connected with single-photon interference, which demonstrates its potential to extend the communication distance for point-to-point QSDC.
Quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) uses the quantum channel to transmit information reliably and securely. In order to eliminate the security loopholes resulting from practical detectors, the measurement-device-independent (MDI) QSDC protocol has been proposed. However, block-based transmission of quantum states is utilized in MDI-QSDC, which requires practical quantum memory that is still unavailable at the time of writing. For circumventing this impediment, we propose a single-photon-memory MDI QSDC protocol (SPMQC) for dispensing with high-performance quantum memory. The performance of the proposed protocol is characterized by simulations considering realistic experimental parameters, and the results show that it is feasible to implement SPMQC by relying on present-day technology.
Quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) enables direct message transmission over quantum channels. Loopholes involved in practical apparatus, particularly nonideal measurement devices, provide a potential interface for attacking practical quantum communication. Measurement-device–independent (MDI) QSDC protocols deal with all side-channel attacks on practical measurement devices and directly transmit secret messages over classical channels with both integrity and eavesdropper detection and prevention. We review the recent development of MDI QSDC protocols using both single photons and entangled photon pairs. These two types of MDI QSDC protocols are useful for their respective distinct characters and can be generalized to perform more interesting communication networks.
Quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) enables secure message transmission without needing pre-shared keys. To enhance the practical reliability of QSDC systems, measurement-device-independent (MDI) protocols have emerged, providing robust security in real-world applications. Despite the advantages of MDI protocols, their implementation has not yet accomplished communication using only single photons which are advantageous due to their ease of preparation and transmission. In this letter, by employing single photons, we propose a novel MDI-QSDC protocol with identity authentication. This protocol achieves mutual identity authentication between the communicating parties, Alice and Bob, enabling authenticated Alice to securely transmit her secret message directly to authenticated Bob. Theoretical analysis demonstrates the protocol is resilient to identity and message security threats. Simulations with practical experimental parameters and efficiency analysis highlight its potential in quantum communication.
Quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) can directly transmit secrete messages through a quantum channel. Device-independent (DI) QSDC can guarantee the communication security relying only on the observation of the Bell-inequality violation, but not on any detailed description or trust of the inner workings of users' devices. In the paper, we propose a DI-QSDC protocol with practical highly efficient single-photon sources. The communication parties construct the entanglement channel from single photons by adopting the heralded architecture, which makes the message-leakage rate independent of the photon-transmission loss. The secure communication distance and the practical communication efficiency of the current DI-QSDC protocol are about 6 times and 600 times of those in the original DI-QSDC protocol. Combining with the entanglement purification, the parties can construct the nearly perfect entanglement channel and completely eliminate the message leakage. This DI-QSDC protocol may have useful applications in the future quantum communication field.
Abstract Quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) enables the direct transmission of confidential messages without pre-establishing a secret key. Device independence (DI) can further enhance its practical security against untrusted devices. However, existing DI-QSDC protocols rely on a single Clauser–Horne–Shimony–Holt inequality, which severely limits both the achievable communication distance and the secret message capacity, while the detection loophole remains open in DI-QSDC. To overcome these limitations, we propose a one-sided DI-QSDC protocol based on single-photon sources and heralded entanglement. The protocol combines entanglement distribution, loss-tolerant steering-based security verification, and measurement-DI communication verification and decoding. We employ the Navascués–Pironio–Acín hierarchy based semidefinite programming relaxations to evaluate the secret message capacity. Numerical simulations show that our protocol extends communication distances by factors of 5.6 and 32.2, and improves the practical secure communication efficiency by factors of 1.8 and 1102.5, compared to single-photon-source-based DI-QSDC and SPDC-based DI-QSDC, respectively.
In Part I of this two-part letter on single-photon-memory measurement-device-independent quantum secure direct communication (SPMQC), we reviewed the fundamentals and evolution of quantum secure direct communication (QSDC). In this Part II, we propose a practical protocol and analyze its secrecy capacity. In order to eliminate the security loopholes resulting from practical detectors, the measurement-device-independent (MDI) QSDC protocol has been proposed. However, block-based transmission of quantum states is utilized in MDI-QSDC, which requires practical quantum memory that is still unavailable at the time of writing. For circumventing this impediment, we propose the SPMQC protocol for dispensing with high-performance quantum memory. The performance of the proposed protocol is characterized by simulations considering realistic experimental parameters, and the results show that it is feasible to implement SPMQC by relying on existing technology.