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Optics Express

Accelerated key generation and distribution using polarization scrambling in optical fiber

Adnan A. E. Hajomer, Liuming Zhang, Xuelin Yang, Weisheng Hu

Published Nov 21, 2019• 30 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The physical-layer properties of the classical optical fiber channel provide an inherent, unique, random and reciprocal source for secure key generation and distribution (SKGD). However, the key generation rate (KGR) is generally less than kbit/s in the reported SKGD schemes. In this paper, an accelerated SKGD scheme based on active polarization scrambling is proposed in the classical optical fiber channel. A combination of unique birefringence distribution of optical fiber channel and active scrambling of instant state of polarization (SOP) enables a fast and random SOP fluctuation to be securely shared between the legitimate users for accelerated SKGD. The proposed SKGD scheme is experimentally demonstrated over 24-km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF), where a KGR of 200-kbit/s with an error-free operation is achieved after the post-processing procedure. Moreover, the possible fiber-tapping attacks are theoretically and experimentally analyzed for the security robustness of the proposed scheme. The results imply that a faster SKGD scheme could be achieved by incorporating an active polarization scrambling mechanism into the random properties of the fiber channel.

DOI
10.1364/oe.27.035761

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The physical-layer properties of the classical optical fiber channel provide an inherent, unique, random and reciprocal source for secure key generation and distribution (SKGD). However, the key generation rate (KGR) is generally less than kbit/s in the reported SKGD schemes. In this paper, an accelerated SKGD scheme based on active polarization scrambling is proposed in the classical optical fiber channel. A combination of unique birefringence distribution of optical fiber channel and active scrambling of instant state of polarization (SOP) enables a fast and random SOP fluctuation to be securely shared between the legitimate users for accelerated SKGD. The proposed SKGD scheme is experimentally demonstrated over 24-km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF), where a KGR of 200-kbit/s with an error-free operation is achieved after the post-processing procedure. Moreover, the possible fiber-tapping attacks are theoretically and experimentally analyzed for the security robustness of the proposed scheme. The results imply that a faster SKGD scheme could be achieved by incorporating an active polarization scrambling mechanism into the random properties of the fiber channel.
Dynamic properties of optical signals in fiber channel provide a unique, random and reciprocal source for physical-layer secure key generation and distribution (SKGD). In this paper, an inherent physical-layer SKGD scheme is proposed and demonstrated, where the random source is originated from the dynamic fluctuation of the instant state of polarization (SOP) of optical signals in fiber. Due to the channel reciprocity, highly-correlated fluctuation of Stokes parameter of SOP is shared between the legal partners, where an error-free key generation rate (KGR) of 196-bit/s is successfully demonstrated over 25-km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF). In addition, an active polarization scrambler is deployed in fiber to increase the KGR, where an error-free KGR of 200-kbit/s is achieved.
This paper proposes and experimentally demonstrates an error-free secure key generation and distribution (SKGD) scheme in classical optical fiber link by exploiting Stokes parameters (SPs) of the state of polarization (SOP). Due to the unique birefringence distribution of the optical fiber channel, random but high-correlated SPs are shared between Alice and Bob. The dynamic SPs are also affected by the time-varying environmental factors, providing the source of randomness for the secret key extraction. As a proof of concept, key generation rate (KGR) of 213-bits/s is successfully demonstrated over 25-km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF). The error-free SKGD is realized in fiber channel using the information reconciliation (IR) technology, where Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem (BCH) codes are applied. Due to the channel uniqueness and the high-sensitivity to the initial SOP of optical signals, high-level security is provided by the proposed scheme, which is analyzed and verified against the possible fiber-tapping attacks. Moreover, the proposed SKGD scheme offers additional benefits such as simple structure, low cost, and suitablity for long-haul transmission.
A physical-layer secure key generation and distribution (SKGD) scheme in classical fiber channel is proposed and demonstrated using a bidirectional wide-band polarization scrambler (WBPS), to alter rapidly and symmetrically the state of polarization (SOP) for the two counter-propagating optical signals in fiber. Due to the optical channel reciprocity, highly-consistent key bits can be extracted from the correlated SOP fluctuations, while the key secrecy is ensured by the fiber channel uniqueness. A final key generation rate (KGR) of 2.7 Gb/s is demonstrated over 10 km single mode fiber (SMF), where error-free and true randomness of the generated key are achieved after post-processing. The obtained KGR at Gb/s makes a further step towards the implementation of one-time-pad data encryption with perfect secrecy in fiber networks.
High-speed physical-layer secure key generation and distribution (SKGD) schemes via channel reciprocity are achieved using external electro-optical modulation or random source distribution via additional fiber links. Here, we propose and demonstrate an SKGD scheme using the fluctuation of polarization states from an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) source, without any external electro-optical modulation or additional fiber link. Experimentally, an error-free key generation rate (KGR) of 10.1 Gb/s is achieved over a 10-km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF), with true randomness originating from ASE. Moreover, the single fiber channel can be shared for SKGD as well as data transmission, allowing the integration of the proposed SKGD with the deployed fiber infrastructure.
Key distribution is a major challenge of secure communication. Computational approaches to key distribution are breached by quantum algorithms, while quantum key distribution (QKD) is an expensive, slow, and sophisticated solution. Secure key generation and distribution from unpredictable and inherent physical-layer properties of optical fiber channel is a classical, simple and cost-effective solution. However, the quasi-static nature of fiber channels dramatically limits the available key generation rate (KGR) to the order of ~kbit/s. Here we effectively accelerate the KGR by six orders of magnitude using a developed high-speed chaotic polarization scrambler (CPS) driven by digital chaos in fiber channels. An error-free KGR of 284.8 Mbit/s is experimentally demonstrated over a 24 km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF), where the generated key passes the random test suite. Moreover, we fully analyze the security mechanism and find that a strong asymmetry exists between legal and illegal users, ensuring a high-level of security against potential fiber-tapping attacks. This scheme provides a major step towards the practical implementation of the “one-time-pad” in secure data transmission over fiber networks.
We propose a practical secure key generation and distribution (SKGD) scheme for actual application. Based on the experiment results of the polarization properties of the actual optical-fiber link, we propose a SKGD method by the active modulation of the state of polarization of the optical-fiber by two polarization scramblers placed at the local end of the legal users in the point-to-point communication system. Experiment results prove that the signals received by legal users share high correlation using 20 km standard single-mode fiber and 1 KHz polarization scrambling rate, and the bit generation rate can reach to 1216 bit/s with a bit error rate of ∼ 0.33 % . Security of the system is also analyzed in terms of the polarization properties of the system; the theoretical and experimental results indicate that the proposed scheme possesses high security due to the invisibility of the key signal and the technical difficulty of the recovery of the key sequence.