Information-theoretic security proof for quantum-key-distribution protocols (17 pages)

Akihiro Mizutani, Toshihiko Sasaki, Go Kato +2 more

Abstract We prove the information-theoretic security of the differential-phase-shift (DPS) quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol in the asymptotic regime based on the complementarity approach (arXiv:0704.3661 (2007)). Our security proof provides a slightly better key generation rate compared to the one derived in the previous security proof in (arXiv:1208.1995 (2012)) that is based on the Shor–Preskill approach (Shor and Preskill 2000 Phys. Rev. Lett. 85 441). This improvement is obtained because the complementarity approach can employ more detailed information on Alice’s sending state in estimating the leaked information to an eavesdropper. Moreover, we remove the necessity of the numerical calculation that was needed in the previous analysis to estimate the leaked information. This leads to an advantage that our security proof enables us to evaluate the security of the DPS protocol with any block size. This paper highlights one of the fundamental differences between the Shor–Preskill and the complementarity approaches.

Eli Biham, Michel Boyer, P. Oscar Boykin +2 more

Jianzhong Zhao

Cryptography is crucial to communication security. In 1984, a well-known QKD (quantum key distribution) protocol, BB84, was published by Bennett and Brassard. The BB84 Protocol was followed by the QKD protocols published by Ekert (1991) (E91) and Bennett (1992) (B92). Some authors proved security of the theoretical QKD protocols in different theoretical frameworks by defining security of QKD protocols differently. My argument is that the previous proofs of security are neither unique nor exhaustive for each theoretical QKD protocol, which means that proof of security of the theoretical QKD protocols has not been completed or achieved. The non-uniqueness and the non-exhaustiveness of the proofs will lead to more proofs. However, a coming “proof” of security of the theoretical QKD protocols is possible to be a disproof. The research by quantum mechanics in this paper disproves security of the theoretical QKD protocols, by establishing the theoretical framework of quantum mechanical proof, defining security of QKD protocols, establishing the quantum state of the final key of the theoretical protocols from their information leakages, and applying Grover’s fast quantum mechanical algorithm for database search to the quantum state of the final key to result in the Insecurity Theorem. This result is opposite to those of the previous proofs where the theoretical QKD protocols were secure. It is impossible for Alice and Bob to protect their communications from information leakage by stopping or canceling the protocols. The theoretical QKD keys are conventional and basically insecure. Disproof of security of the theoretical QKD protocols is logical.

Masato Koashi

Patrick Andriolo, Esteban Vasquez, Elizabeth Agudelo +3 more

In contrast to classical public-key cryptosystems, where the security of encoded messages relies on on computational assumptions, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) enables two distant parties to establish a shared secret key that, when combined with a one-time pad, provides information-theoretically secure encryption, provided that the QKD protocol is supported by a rigorous security proof. In the last decades, security proofs robust against a wide range of eavesdropping strategies have established the theoretical soundness of several QKD protocols. However, most proofs are based on idealized models of the physical systems involved in such protocols and often include assumptions that are not satisfied in practical implementations. This mismatch creates a gap between theoretical security guarantees and actual experimental realizations, making QKD protocols vulnerable to attacks. To ensure the security of real-world QKD systems, it is therefore essential to account for imperfections in security analyses. In this article, we present an overview of recent analytical and numerical developments in QKD security proofs, which provide a versatile approach for incorporating imperfections and re-establishing the security of quantum communication protocols under realistic conditions.

Akihiro Mizutani, Toshihiko Sasaki, Go Kato

In this paper, we present a flowchart-based description of the decoy-state BB84 quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol and provide a step-by-step, self-contained information-theoretic security proof for this protocol within the universal composable security framework. As a result, our proof yields a key rate consistent with previous findings. Importantly, unlike all the prior security proofs, our approach offers a fully rigorous and mathematical justification for achieving the key rate with the claimed correctness and secrecy parameters, thereby representing a significant step toward the formal certification of QKD systems.