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Electronics Letters

Design of quantum cryptography systems for passiveoptical networks

Paul D. Townsend, Simon J. D. Phoenix, Keith J. Blow, Stephen Mark Barnett

Published Oct 27, 1994• 75 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Quantum cryptography has been shown to be an effective technique for the secure distribution of cryptographic keys on point-to-point communication links. The authors describe adaptations of the existing quantum cryptography protocols and equipment configurations that allow secure key distribution to be performed on a variety of multiuser passive optical network (PON) architectures. These adaptations enable the network controller on the PON to distribute individual secret keys to each user on the network, and hence to securely encrypt and authenticate subsequent data transmissions broadcast on the network.

DOI
10.1049/el:19941255

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Journal of Applied Science and Innovation Studies•Oct 1, 2025•1 citation
Quantum cryptography has been shown to be an effective technique for the secure distribution of cryptographic keys on point-to-point communication links. The authors describe adaptations of the existing quantum cryptography protocols and equipment configurations that allow secure key distribution to be performed on a variety of multiuser passive optical network (PON) architectures. These adaptations enable the network controller on the PON to distribute individual secret keys to each user on the network, and hence to securely encrypt and authenticate subsequent data transmissions broadcast on the network.
Quantum cryptography has been shown to be an effective technology for the secure distribution of keys on point-to-point optical links. We show how the existing techniques can be extended to allow multi-user secure key distribution on optical networks. We demonstrate that using network configurations typical of those found in passive optical network architectures any of the current quantum key distribution protocols can be adapted to implement secure key distribution from any user to any other user. An important feature of these adapted protocols is that the broadcaster, or service provider on the network, does not have to be trusted by the two users who wish to establish a key.
It is well known that optical access networks are able to provide high data rates over long distances and to a reasonable number of users. Security and privacy are always a challenge for public accessible network infrastructures. Especially in time-division multiplexing passive optical networks (TDM-PONs), in which the downstream signal is broadcasted to all users connected via the same wavelength channel in a shared fiber link, privacy can be a critical concern. Although encryption at the application layer can provide a high level of security, this can be achieved only if the encryption key distribution is perfectly save. On the other hand, encryption on the physical layer such as quantum cryptography or, more precisely, quantum key distribution (QKD) is a very promising approach to achieve secure communication. However, there remain several issues that have to be solved before the quantum cryptography reaches the maturity level needed for a cost effective implementation in practical networks. In this paper, we address quantum key distribution (QKD) over passive optical access networks, which is an enabling technology required to cost efficiently deploy practical quantum encrypted data communication in the access area. We study different methods to integrate QKD systems in conventional optical access networks and quantitatively evaluate their suitability for a potential implementation.
Abstract Passive Optical Networks (PON) are widely used to deliver fixed line communication due to their cost effectiveness and potential for high data transfer rates. However, due to the nature of their operation, every user on a PON system has access to every other user’s downstream data. Current progress in quantum computing means that the classical encryption algorithms currently used to secure communication data, including PON data, may not be sufficient in the future and so, for total information security another encryption solution, such as Quantum Key Distribution, must be found. This paper outlines the different variations of QKD on PON that have so far been proposed and summarises the current state of the art of experimental demonstrations of QKD on PON.
In this thesis, several novel secure optical communication network models are presented. The security of these network models is achieved using quantum cryptographic-key distribution. Both point-to-point and multiple access broadcast networks are considered. Furthermore, in developing these models, the simplicity, generality and flexibility are highly maintained. Thus, it is possible to use these models efficiently for software simulation purposes. Each secure optical communication network model is assumed to be composed of N communication nodes (stations) that are connected by three types of fiber optic channels. These are the quantum, authenticated public, and timing channels. Errors can occur in quantum transmission due to eavesdropping and system inefficiencies. Thus, an error elimination technique is implemented. In this technique, several rounds of random permutations and block parity comparisons are done between the transmitter and receiver. Then, another strategy of random subset parity comparisons is performed. Blocks or subsets of discordant parities are subjected to a bisective search to find error locations and eliminate them. After all quantum transmission errors are discovered and discarded, an important mathematical technique called privacy amplification is implemented. Using this technique, eavesdropper information about the final cryptographic key is reduced to an arbitrarily value smaller than one bit. This is essentially achieved by publicly choosing length-reducing transformations to apply to primary keys so that partial eavesdropper information about inputs conveys almost no knowledge of the outputs. In the designing of secure models for multiple access broadcast networks, both of broadcasting and multicasting quantum transmission modes are enabled. This is done via introducing electro-optic switches in the implementation of quantum channels. Hence, the efficiency of quantum cryptography protocols can significantly be increased, in many situations. All networks quantum cryptography protocols are simulated via the object oriented programming (OOP) approach using the Borland C ++ Compiler Version 4.5. Simulation results for both error elimination and privacy amplification stages are presented. It is important to mention that all the described protocols are secure even against an enemy possessing unlimited computing power.
The access network portion of a telecommunications system in the last years demands ever-increasing bandwidth to serve not only residential and commercial customers but also other telecommunications operators, as is the case with back-haul in mobile infrastructure.To achieve this, technologies using fiber optics as a transmission medium are being developed.Passive Optical Network (PON) protocols such as ITU-T G.9804.1 provides new schemes of multiplexing that improve higher speed offered both in the downstream channel (operator to user) and in the upstream channel (user to operator).In some cases a symmetrical optical link is required to support new services, applications and terminals from users side because their profiles and demands has changed in the last decade with new challenges to maintain network parameters within the established contracted values.On the other hand, information security has also been a topic of interest in recent years, so quantum cryptography offers an alternative to increase robustness compared to the mechanisms available in electronic systems that could be vulnerable to the development of quantum computing.Although quantum cryptography protocols were defined in the last century, their application is of interest today, as they can exploit the properties of photons to make it more difficult for an intruder to obtain the private key of an information system that uses optical fiber as a transmission medium.This work shows the computational application of the BB84 quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol on an operating model of a 50G passive optical network, demonstrating both the cryptography performance and network quality parameters such as the bit error rate (BER) and the eye diagram.