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Quantum-Atom Optics Downunder (QAO)

Security of Post-Selection Based Continuous Variable Quantum Key Distribution in the Presence of Gaussian Added Noise

Thomas Symul, Daniel J. Alton, Syed M. Assad, Andrew M. Lance, Christian Weedbrook, Timothy C. Ralph, Ping Koy Lam

Published Jan 1, 2007• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

In realistic continuous variable quantum key distribution protocols, an eavesdropper may exploit the additional Gaussian noise generated during transmission to mask her presence. We present a theoretical framework for a post-selection based protocol which explicitly takes into account excess Gaussian noise. We derive a quantitative expression of the secret key rates based on the Levitin and Holevo bounds. We experimentally demonstrate that the post-selection based scheme is still secure against both individual and collective Gaussian attacks in the presence of this excess noise.

DOI
10.1364/qao.2007.qthc2

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In realistic continuous variable quantum key distribution protocols, an eavesdropper may exploit the additional Gaussian noise generated during transmission to mask her presence. We present a theoretical framework for a post-selection based protocol which explicitly takes into account excess Gaussian noise. We derive a quantitative expression of the secret key rates based on the Levitin and Holevo bounds. We experimentally demonstrate that the post-selection based scheme is still secure against both individual and collective Gaussian attacks in the presence of this excess noise.
In realistic continuous variable quantum key distribution protocols, an eavesdropper may exploit the additional Gaussian noise generated during transmission to mask her presence. We present a theoretical framework for a post-selection based protocol which explicitly takes into account excess Gaussian noise. We derive a quantitative expression of the secret key rates based on the Levitin and Holevo bounds. We experimentally demonstrate that the post-selection based scheme is still secure against both individual and collective Gaussian attacks in the presence of this excess noise.
In realistic continuous-variable quantum key distribution protocols, an eavesdropper may exploit the additional Gaussian noise generated during transmission to mask her presence. We present a theoretical framework for a post-selection-based protocol which explicitly takes into account excess Gaussian noise. We derive a quantitative expression of the secret key rates based on the Levitin and Holevo bounds. We experimentally demonstrate that the post-selection-based scheme is still secure against both individual and collective Gaussian attacks in the presence of this excess noise.
Abstract Gaussian-modulated coherent-state (GMCS) continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) offers a practical path to quantum-secured communication owing to its compatibility with existing optical fibre networks and use of mature security proofs. Achieving high secret key rates in real-time systems, however, requires post-processing schemes that are both information-theoretically efficient and computationally scalable. In previous experimental work 1 , we have demonstrated record real-time key rates using a one-round sliced reconciliation scheme with guard-band post-selection. Here, we present the corresponding theoretical framework and provide an asymptotic security analysis that considers arbitrary collective attacks, a much broader class of attacks than the usually assumed Gaussian collective attacks. The security analysis applies the entropic continuity of quantum channels justified by a quantum channel estimation procedure. In conditions of high noise, our scheme uses 500 times less classical communication than multidimensional reconciliation.
We investigate the security against collective attacks of a continuous variable quantum key distribution scheme in the asymptotic key limit for a realistic setting. The quantum channel connecting the two honest parties is assumed to be lossy and imposes Gaussian noise on the observed quadrature distributions. Secret key rates are given for direct and reverse reconciliation schemes including post-selection in the collective attack scenario. The effect of a nonideal error correction and two-way communication in the classical post-processing step is also taken into account.
Continuous variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) utilizes bright beams to establish secure communication between two parties via an optical quantum channel such as an optical fiber. One of the main protocols that are practical and promising involves a selection process after the transmission of quantum states, called post-selection based CVQKD. The security of CVQKD using post-selection has been investigated both theoretically (Silberhorn et al., 2002) and demonstrated experimentally (Lance et al., 2002). However, it was subject to one fundamental assumption, namely that the quantum channel must have strictly zero excess noise (i.e. it is shot-noise-limited). In reality, nonlinearities in optical fibers and classical noise of laser beams commonly introduce Gaussian excess noise. The authors considered an eavesdropping attack based on entangling cloner setup where the channel was replaced with a lossless and shot-noise-limited line and remain undetectible. Two-way reconciliation was considered in the security analysis.The paper presents experiments based on the protocol developed by the authors.
We extend the security analysis of continuous variable quantum-key-distribution protocols using a family of post selection schemes to account for arbitrary eavesdropping attacks. We show that the postselection protocol is equivalent to a virtual entanglement-based protocol including a distillation stage. We introduce a particular `Gaussian' post selection and demonstrate that the security can be calculated using only experimentally accessible quantities. Finally, we explicitly evaluate the performance for the case of a noisy Gaussian channel in the limit of unbounded key length and find improvements over all pre-existing continuous variable protocols in realistic regimes.