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IEEE Communications Letters

Single-Photon-Memory Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Secure Direct Communication—Part II: A Practical Protocol and its Secrecy Capacity

Xiangjie Li, Dong Pan, Gui‐Lu Long, Lajos Hanzo

Published Feb 22, 2023• 24 citations
Publisher

Abstract

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.

DOI
10.1109/lcomm.2023.3247176

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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.
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) can realize the direct and secure transmission of information instead of sharing secure keys between two parties. Similar to quantum key distribution (QKD), in practical applications, QSDC may suffer from attacks from imperfect detector. Measurement-device–independent QSDC (MDI-QSDC) can remove all attacks at detector's side and close all loopholes in the detection system. However, existing MDI-QSDC protocols have relatively low capacity. In this paper, we propose a high-capacity MDI-QSDC protocol of multiple degrees of freedom of a single photon. Compared with original MDI-QSDC protocols, our protocol has larger channel capacity which can use a single photon to transmit multi-bit of secure information. This protocol may have potential application in future quantum secure communication.
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.
Measurement-device-independent quantum secure direct communication (MDI-QSDC) protocol is capable of defending against attacks on detectors by illegal parties, and its security relies on the trustworthy preparation of quantum states. In this paper, we propose the one-sided measurement-device-independent quantum secure direct communication (1SMDI-QSDC) protocol, which not only has the advantage of being independent of detection loopholes but also weakens the requirement of MDI-QSDC for state preparation. We analyze the real-life secrecy capacity of this proposed protocol by using realistic experimental settings that contain the weak coherent pulse source, parametric down-conversion source, and customized decoy-state method. The results indicate that our protocols can achieve secure communication over a few hundred kilometers. Furthermore, we find that the coding technology of increasing capacity using masking (INCUM) can mitigate the degradation of the maximum distance of secure communication when the state preparation is highly untrustworthy.
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.